


Say What You Want But You're Not Gonna Win This Time

by Sarara3



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Abduction, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Fugitives, Hidden Emotions, Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Torture, Worry, clever Jen is forced to be even more clever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-02 21:53:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 33,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarara3/pseuds/Sarara3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise crew receive orders from Starfleet to assess a request for aid from a failing civilization. After the initial meeting, Captain Kirk is captured by rebels and is used as a bargaining chip. She escapes, but getting back to her ship will not be an easy task.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mission Parameters

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, this story is un-beta read. This was just an idea I had and posted on tumblr (which you can see [here](http://obstreperoushoney.tumblr.com/post/66912106742) if you like) and sort of ran with. It's kinda fun and I hope you enjoy it :3
> 
> I flagged this as "Graphic Depictions of Violence" because Jen will indeed be [mildly?] tortured at some point and I didn't want people to be surprised.
> 
> Also, the title is a lyric from ["Country Song" by Seether](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NMxwbn_QoU) because I dig song lyrics as titles haha!

“How long until we reach the system, Mr. Sulu?” Jen asked, beginning to rise from the Captain’s chair.

“At present warp, we will be there in roughly sixteen hours, sir.” Sulu reported.

“Excellent.” She turned to face the rear of the bridge. “Landing party,” the team perked up. “Conference room in twenty minutes. We have some things to discuss about the mission. You have the con, Mr. Sulu.”

Jen went to her ready room to prepare PADDs for everyone. The information just needed to be transferred from the computer which would take only a minute or two, but Jen wanted time to grab some coffee from the mess before meeting with her landing party. She meandered down to the mess, PADDs under her arm. Bones was there getting coffee as well.

“Heya, Bones.” she greeted as she made her way over to him.

“Jen.” He handed her a cup with the divine, hot beverage inside.

“Aww! Thank you!” She hummed her appreciation as she took a sip. “How do you know the way I like it?”

They began to walk to the conference room together. “You’re a lot easier to figure out than you think you are.” Jen rolled her eyes and began to protest. “Plus, I’ve known you for a long time. If I didn’t know the way you take your coffee by now, there’s something wrong.”

“Fair enough.” Jen conceded.

“You know how I take mine, right?”

“Sweet as the day is long, Bones.” He smirked at her; a private little smile that no one else ever earned. Jen mostly figured it was because no one could get under his skin quite like she could. She had private smiles for him, too, because no one else was quite as entertaining as Bones when he got irritated with her.

They walked the rest of the way to the conference room, chatting about nothing in particular. Jen didn’t want to start talking about the mission with him and end up having to repeat herself.

Everyone else was already there when they arrived. Uhura and Spock sat together on the opposite side of the table from Lieutenant Ankara. Ankara had recently transferred to the Enterprise from a nearby starbase. He’d quickly proven himself to be vitally useful in engineering and had been taken under Scotty’s wing. Bones sat down next to Ankara and Jim sat at the head.

“Computer, begin recording.” The computer chirped its affirmation. “Thank you all for coming. Please take a data pad each and I’ll begin to go over the mission. This will be relatively brief, but I welcome any questions afterwards.” Meetings were always strangely formal. Jen Kirk wasn’t much for constant formality on her ship, especially amongst friends, but meetings were an exception she made. At first, her friends had been a little uncomfortable with it because it was so unlike her, but they got over it pretty quickly because it _became_ like her. They also secretly blamed it on her tendency to record the meetings.

“You have the next fifteen and three quarter hours to learn as much as you can about these people. All the information you will need is included and can be gone over at your leisure after this meeting. If you have any questions, feel free to consult me or one another. The people in question are called the Tiam-Na. They are requesting the aid of the Federation because their society is in a state of dereliction and they would like our help in fixing that. As the closest Federation vessel to the region, we’ve been ordered to meet with them and assess their actual need.

“They are also requesting medical aid, which we will provide in limited supply without prior investigation. However, Dr. McCoy, you will need to thoroughly examine their biology before we get there so you will be at least a little familiar with how best to treat them. You’ll only be treating some council members for now, but we will need to survey a location at which to set up a semi-permanent medical facility. You may choose to take a small team of medical personnel with you if you want, just make sure you educate them first.

“Lieutenant Uhura, you will accompany myself and Commander Spock to aid in communication and diplomacy. As I understand, they speak English pretty well as they appreciate the native tongue of Starfleet, but just in case, I’d like you there to pick up on any dialect their language may resemble. If time allows, we’ll have you sit down with someone and learn as much as you can before we leave. This will more than likely end up happening as we will be on the ground for a while and we don’t want you getting bored.

“As part of their request, we need to assess their technological capabilities. We know that they have primitive warp capabilities, but they neglected to include anything else in their report for us. Lieutenant Ankara, you will oversee the majority of that endeavor, though I will accompany you for a part of it. We will arrange for you to tour their facilities and meet with their chief science officers. We’re not providing them with materials or anything, so no taking requests; just an assessment of their capabilities.

“Finally, Commander Spock and I will meet directly with their council. The discussion will undoubtedly be lengthy and, Spock, you and I can discuss the parameters in private. In total, we will be on the surface for between eight and fifteen hours. Any issues, contact one another first. If there is an emergency, however, don’t hesitate to interrupt the council meeting to contact me directly. We will all meet again after the mission is complete and report our findings back to Starfleet. We will await orders on how to proceed after that. Any questions?” Jen looked around the room to see everyone shaking their heads. “Excellent. All dismissed until it is time for the landing party to assemble and take the shuttle down to the surface. Computer, end recording. Spock, with me.”

“That was extraordinarily efficient, Captain.” Spock remarked as he joined Jen on the way to her quarters. Jen preferred to be in the comfort of her own living space when she and Spock had long meetings like this. And Spock never minded, so that was a plus.

“I think the response you’re looking for is ‘thank you,’ but I’m not entirely sure you’ve earned it, Mr. Spock.”

Spock cocked his head in confusion. “I meant no offense, Captain, I was merely remarking that the efficiency with which you conducted that meeting was noteworthy. If I should not have said so, then please correct me, sir.”

Jen chuckled lightly and clapped Spock on the shoulder. “It’s fine, Spock. It just didn’t come off as very endearing. Sort of a back-handed compliment. Don’t even worry about it.” They sat down in Jen’s comfy chairs at her desk and she toed off her shoes. She loved the feel of the carpet under her bare feet, so she removed her socks as well. She set them aside for laundry later. “Hungry, Spock? I could use a burger.”

“Thank you, Captain, I do not require anything.”

“Nothing?” she queried, moving to issue a request to the galley. “Soup? Tea? Flavored water?” Spock repeatedly shook his head. “Suit yourself.”

“Shall we begin, Captain?”

Jen sighed and shrugged. “Might as well.” She took out the PADD and began to go over the mission with Spock. Before too long, they were interrupted with Jen’s food, which she accepted gratefully.

“Sir, am I correct in assuming that they are requesting our assistance in a ‘clean-up effort,’ for lack of a better term?” Spock asked after going over some of the information on his own while Jen’s eyes rolled back in her head at how delicious her burger was.

“Space burgers, man! They astound me!” Spock raised an eyebrow. Jen continued, “You’re half right, Spock. They are requesting assistance because of the ramshackle state of their society. We’re neither going to spoon-feed them a solution nor are we going to be their maid, but if the Federation decides they will gain our assistance, we will spearhead a campaign to help them to do it themselves. They just need a little push in the right direction, as far as I understand it.”

“Very astute, Captain.” Jen nodded her thanks and wiped her fingers.

“The people we will be meeting with will be giving us every bit of information we could use to assess their situation. They will also take us on a short tour of their capital city. The tour is to help us truly understand the gravity of the situation. Uhura will separately meet with an education committee and will report back to us.

“One of my concerns is that we know very little about their atmosphere. That was part of the information they neglected to include for us. So, when we reach their orbit, I’ll have you take a reading and we will determine and issue any necessary breathing apparatus or special landing uniforms.”

“Captain, if I may?” Spock paused for permission to continue. Jen took a sip of water before nodding her permission. “I do hope this sentiment does not come across as insincere or ‘back-handed,’ but you have grown into your role of Captain quite elegantly.” Jen placed her fingers against her brow and rested on her elbow, watching him with an amused smirk on her lips. “As someone who doubted your aptitude from the very beginning of your Starfleet career, I must say that I have never been more pleased to have been proven wrong.” At this, Jen laughed openly, eyes sparkling.

“Thank you, Spock! That may be one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me!” She reached across the desk to shake his hand. He accepted it and graced her with a smile.

With that, Spock left to conduct his research on his own. Jen still sat at her desk, going over the data again. She’d had access to it ever since Starfleet told her the assignment and had been briefed at the same time. Just the same, she wanted to be as prepared as she could be.

About three hours later, when Jen had begun to nod off, her door chime sounded. “Come!” she called. In stepped Bones, a coffee in each hand.

“Captain.”

“Bones.” Jen smiled and gestured to the chair in front of her. “What can I do for you?” Bones sat and placed his PADD on the desktop next to hers. He passed the cup of coffee to her. “Yoooouuuuu are sent from Heaven! Thank you, Bones!”

“I wanted to let you know I’d be taking Nurse Chapel with me to the surface. She’s my most competent nurse and I figure I could use a hand. Their biology isn’t terribly complex and even though we’ll be there for over eight hours, I figure I could use a hand.”

“I trust your judgment.”

“Damn right, you do!” Jen smiled into her steaming beverage. Bones regarded her with soft eyes before asking, “So how’s diplomacy rehearsal going?”

“Wonderfully!” Bones snickered at her and sipped at his own coffee, closing his eyes in appreciation. “Spock gave me a hell of a compliment, though.”

“Did he now?”

“He did. He said, and I quote, ‘As someone who doubted your aptitude from the very beginning of your Starfleet career, I must say that I have never been more pleased to have been proven wrong.’” Bones nearly choked on his drink. “I know! I damn near fell over!”

“If you’ve managed to impress Spock, then maybe you’re doing something right after all.” Jen dipped her fingers in her coffee to flick some of it at Bones. High temperatures be damned, she wanted him to suffer slightly for that comment. “I have a question, though, Jen.” She raised her eyebrows. “I know you want me to go down to the surface to help them with their medical needs, but I’m concerned about the crew. I’ve been over the data they provided us with and there’s nothing about their atmosphere or weather conditions. I can’t guarantee the safety of the landing party if I don’t know what we’re walking into.”

Jen smiled. “This is actually where I impressed Spock.” She leaned back in the chair, and laced her fingers together over her belly. “I told him that when we reach orbit, I was going to have him do an analysis to determine atmospheric composition and we will plan accordingly from there. You should be there as well, just in case there’s something he doesn’t see because he’s not a doctor.”

The Chief Medical Officer gaped at her for a moment before nodding, impressed. “You’re really a starship captain, aren’t you?”

“Why is everyone so surprised by that?” Jen flung her hands in the air in disbelief. Bones simply chuckled and settled in to keep her company while they traversed the remainder of the space between the Enterprise and the Tiam-Na.


	2. Belly Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Enterprise landing party meet with the delegates from the Tiam-Na. But nothing can ever really go perfectly well for Jen Kirk, can it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta read as per usual. Sorry for the things I do.
> 
> Questions, comments, kudos are always welcome. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)

The Enterprise reached the system precisely when Sulu said it would. Jen wasn’t terribly surprised by this because Sulu was pretty precise about that sort of thing. He knew this ship about as well as Scotty did and he loved her almost as much as Kirk did.

“Mr. Spock, would you do the reading please? The sooner we can get suited up and down to the surface, the better.”

“Yes, sir.” Spock was able to perform the atmosphere diagnostic from his terminal. Bones stood over his shoulder, looking on just to make sure there wouldn’t be anything Spock might not catch. “Sir, it appears we will need oxygen masks. The atmosphere is not toxic, but it will make breathing for us difficult. We have some on board that fit only over the mouth and nose so as not to impede any discussions had by the crew. They convert the atmosphere already present into more breathable air for us.”

“We best get them, then. Landing party, with me; time to go. Mr. Sulu, you have the con. Any problems, contact me directly. Take care of my ship.” Jen got up and waited for Sulu to approach her. She extended her hand to shake his as she left the ship in his capable hands.

“Yes, sir.” He smiled at her and sat as the landing party left the bridge.

“Sir, I’ve arranged for the necessary breathing apparatus to be waiting for us in the shuttle.” Jen nodded as Spock informed her on their way to the shuttle bay. “I’ve also arranged for appropriate clothing options; the temperate of the planet is much less than that we are accustomed to and we will need the extra layers to keep warm. Of course, we will still be able to be identified as Starfleet personnel as you’ve stated this is a Federation matter.”

“What would I do without you, Spock?” she joked as way of thanking him for being so thorough.

“You would no doubt have arranged –”

“Spock, just smile or say ‘you’re welcome, Captain!’” Bones spoke up, slightly exasperated, from Jen’s other side. Uhura chuckled and stroked Spock’s arm to placate him.

When they reached the shuttle bay, they all stepped into their own private dressing rooms to change into the clothing Spock mentioned. Upon meeting up again outside the shuttle to fit for their face masks, Jen looked around at her crew. It never failed to impress Jen that everyone’s rank was clearly visible on every single uniform they wore, even cold weather gear that should be too bulky to bear it. Regardless, her captain’s stripes were clearly visible at her wrists and there were extra indicators on her shoulders. Spock had gone the whole nine yards with this gear.

“No mistakin’ who’s in charge, is there?” Bones quipped softly in her ear. “Finest monkey suits in the fleet for a clean-up gig…” he continued to grumble.

She huffed a laugh and turned to him to say, “No mistaking who’s the best damn CMO in Starfleet either, is there?” If Jen didn’t know any better, she would have sworn that Bones was blushing. She stroked his stripes and the newly-added caduceus on his sleeve affectionately as she said, “I’m sure Spock chose these ones because it’s sort of an official mission. And you know how he is about formality and regulations.” Bones chuckled. He stepped away from her to receive his breathing mask and she looked up to see Uhura’s raised eyebrow. She exchanged a meaningful glance with Nurse Chapel standing next to her. Jen blinked dumbly at her, not entirely sure how to respond to her friends.

Uhura blew Jen away by winking at her and dismissing her dumbfounded silence by simply saying, “Captain.” It was Jen’s turn to blush.

Once they’d all been fitted and were ready to go, Jen ordered them to the shuttle. She sat in the pilot’s seat and began the journey to the planet.

“Sir, I’ve sent a message to the council telling them that we are on our way and will arrive in approximately twenty minutes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Spock.”

Jen parked the shuttle at coordinates just outside the city given by the council. The landing party donned their breathing masks and let Jen lead them to the meeting place. They walked the not insignificant distance to what appeared to be the only opulent building left in the expansive city. There stood several Tiam-Na to greet them.

The people who stood there were extraordinarily beautiful. They were about a foot taller than Jen and they had milky blue skin. Stark white eyes popped against the black eye sockets. Each person had a different dark pattern around their eyes. Jen wondered if it was a tattoo or if it was a natural skin pigmentation that simply varied by person. They were dressed elegantly in long, flowing fabrics. They all had long, braided hair of translucent strands. Two of them stepped forward and raised their long-fingered hands in welcome.

“Good morning, Captain Kirk. I am Lowk Gomlek, High Priest of the Tiam-Na and Chancellor of the Council. This is my Undersecretary and fellow Council member, Shonkit Veeba.” The woman standing next to him inclined her head by way of greeting. Before Jen could introduce her crew, the High Priest went on. “We will now escort you to meet the rest of the council. Your crew will be allowed to meet with their particular administrative teams once introductions have been made. If you please.” Lowk Gomlek turned his back on them to lead the way to the meeting room.

Once they reached the meeting room, the High Priest introduced the rest of the council. Jen was finally given the opportunity to introduce her crew. The council regarded her crew with caution. Everyone felt comfortable enough to doff their warm outer layer in favor of comfort. For about an hour, they all sat together and made introductions and preliminary discussions occurred as to what every breakaway group would be doing. The data sent to the Enterprise had already included much of the information, but the Council felt it would be best to go over it again in person.

After all the globally necessary information had been discussed, Lowk Gomlek looked to Jen and asked, “Would you like to send your delegates with our representatives now, Captain?” She nodded. “Very well.” He turned to address his own people. “If you would please escort the Federation staff to your stations. You will contact me in four hours with a progress report.” They all nodded.

Jen turned to the landing party and gestured over her shoulder to the High Priest. “What he said.” Lieutenant Ankara snorted and Bones rolled his eyes. “Any problems, though, contact me. If you have concerns about the facilities or anything, they can probably wait until we meet back on the Enterprise. But, any emergencies, you know my number.” She was met with understanding faces. “See you guys later!” She saluted them and stood to stretch.

Spock stood with her and turned so his back was to the Tiam-Na. “Captain, do they seem to not trust us? Or is this a misperception on my part?”

“I think you’re spot on, actually.” she replied, just as quiet. “I’m not sure if they’re wary just because we’re strangers or if they don’t like the look of us. Keep an eye on them, though. Their behavior may help Starfleet make a decision if you think their feelings are more in the negative.” Spock agreed.

Several hours later, after learning much of the history of the planet, Jen and Spock were escorted outside to do a tour. A detail that had been overlooked by all when they arrived was that their shuttle landing zone and the building they met in were enclosed in a heavily fortified and guarded wall. Spock gave Jen a meaningful look and they both filed that bit of information away for later consideration.

They’d put their warm clothes back on and swiftly joined their escorts. Jen found herself taking more steps than normal because her legs were not as long as those of the Tiam-Na. They weren’t even as long as Spock’s, though he was also walking slightly quicker. The tour took them roughly an hour and a half. They got to see the absolute worst parts of the city. Homeless people wandered the streets. Several times they were accosted for money or food; each time Jen said she was really sorry but had nothing for them. A couple of times, they witnessed angry arguments and one all-out fist fight. Occasionally during the tour, they heard gunfire in the distance. Sometimes it was a little too close for comfort, but Lowk assured them they would be alright. He even summoned additional armed guards to ease their minds.

The Council decided that Jen and Spock had seen enough of their cause and took them back to the opulent building that Jen had decided was like an embassy or a city hall. They were escorted to the dining area and fed things they did not recognize, but thought were delicious nonetheless. Lowk excused himself early and went to check on the progress from his delegates.

“What are you thinking, Captain? You appear preoccupied.”

Jen considered carefully before speaking. Spock was remarkably patient with her. “I’m thinking there’s something they’re not telling us. Like some sort of dirty secret they’re trying to hide.”

“I was thinking something very similar, sir.”

Jen chuckled. “Glad we’re on the same page. The only question is: is the secret dangerous or just embarrassing?” Spock cocked an eyebrow. “You know, is there an underground black market that rules the people by violence and fear? Or do they have a couple of nasty politicians with sex scandals? Or maybe, I dunno, do they have an issue with illegal immigrants?” Spock finally showed recognition. “There are any number of innocuous things that could be going on here that they’re trying to hide because they’re just ashamed that this kind of thing is going on. Starfleet would totally be willing to work with that and might even build it into the program design to implement the positive changes. But,” Jen raised her hand for emphasis. “If there’s something like, say, terrorist cells crawling all over the city? _That_ would be a damning problem.”

“I would recommend not asking them about it outright, Captain, and instead waiting until we are to report our findings back to Starfleet and requesting guidance on what to do.”

“You take all the fun out of everything.”

Progress reports had been received from the various field locations. Everything was going well and would continue until the main talks were finished. They had many other things to discuss and another possible tour to go on before they were scheduled to go back to the shuttle and get back home. In total, they were on the surface for twelve whole hours. By the end, Jen was exhausted and just wanted to be able to flop onto her bed and report their findings the following day. The rest of her landing party was brought back to the embassy building looking just as tired as Jen felt.

“Right, well, we need to return to our ship and discuss our findings. We also need to report them back to Starfleet who will assess everything. After they make a decision, which may take several days but no more than ten, we will confer with you again here and begin talks of where to go from here. Is that alright?”

“It appears we have no choice in the matter, Captain Kirk.” Jen was taken aback and blinked in her surprise. “We are anxious for a response, but we will graciously await the decision of your Federation. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. We do appreciate it. Allow us to accompany you back to your shuttle.”

The Council walked with the landing party back to the shuttle. Jen assured Lowk that she would convey how serious their situation was in hopes that Starfleet would come to a quick, but still just decision. Lowk expressed deep gratitude for Jen’s promise. More gunfire sounded outside the wall. It seemed closer than any that they had been hearing over the course of the day. Jen hoped everyone in the area would be alright.

They reached the shuttle and the landing party stood close to the door as Jen stood before the Council. Though she was a good deal shorter than all of then, she looked every bit the authority figure that she was. Her presence was truly that of a captain and there was no mistaking that she was in control.

“Thank you for everything today. Your hospitality has not gone unnoticed. I hope we are able to come back with good news for you.” Jen extended her hand.

As Lowk took it and they shook, an explosion rocked the ground. An enormous hole had been blown in the wall closest to Jen and Lowk. Gunfire erupted around them as masked individuals stormed the landing zone. The doctor who had been meeting with Bones and Nurse Chapel was shot in the head and fell to the ground. Jen whipped around to see that her crew was alright and found them all huddled by the shuttle. Lieutenant Ankara rushed inside to fire it up and get them off the ground. They had come unarmed because it was, in theory, supposed to have been a peaceful mission. Uhura knew where the phasers were located inside the shuttle and hurried to get them and distribute them.

As Jen was about to flee to her crew, she felt a bullet pass through her lower thigh. It continued on a path to graze Chapel’s leg. Jen collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain.

“Jen!” She heard Bones yelling for her, but before she could react, she felt strong hands grip her arms from behind and drag her through the crumbling hole in the wall. “No!” Bones had started to run to her, fear written all over his face. Just as the assailants pulled her to her feet on the other side of the wall, it crumbled to the ground and became impassable. Jen was hauled over someone’s shoulder and the last thing she heard before she passed out was Bones yelling and one of her captors telling the one carrying her to not let her die.


	3. Bittersweet Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the landing party makes it back to The Enterprise just fine. But Jen has been kidnapped and her captor's don't take too kindly to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the name of this chapter is super lame and I don't know what to do with it. Some of my stories get killer titles and they're all wicked obvious and it's magical. This one? Not so much... it's a little frustrating. Maybe in the future it will be easier to name the action, but this chapter's title is just bad...
> 
> So, I offer a two-fold apology:
> 
> 1) This is, as always, un-beta'd, for which I'm sorry, and  
> 2) I'm so sorry about my shitty title chapters! If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Or, as punishment, I totally understand you letting me suffer with this terrible, awful chapter title... That would totally be fair...
> 
> ANYWAY!!! I hope you enjoy!!! <3

“Leonard! We have to go!” Uhura yelled over the cacophony of gunfire and shouting. Spock was wrestling with McCoy to try and get him back to the ship.

Inside the shuttle was eerily quiet as Ankara prepared the ship to lift off as soon as everyone was on board. He could hear Uhura continue to yell for McCoy. The gunfire began to quiet and suddenly, Spock was at his elbow, telling him to “Get us out of here!”

“Right away, sir!” He made sure they were flight ready and then they were in the air. The senior staff were silent at the back of the ship as Ankara guided them back to the hangar bay. He was afraid to say anything to them excepting official statements. He set the shuttle down and opened it up for everyone to leave. Spock, Uhura, and McCoy practically ran out of the shuttle to have a conference on what to do now. All official business had been temporarily forgotten in the rush of what to do to get their captain back. Nurse Chapel stayed behind to ask if Ankara was alright.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”

“Let me take a look, just in case. I don’t think Dr. McCoy is going to be able to see to you for a little bit.”

Ankara caught a glimpse of the bullet graze on her calf. “Maybe we should head down to the med bay together. You’ve got quite a scratch there yourself.”

Chapel looked down at it and nodded. “Let’s go, then.” They walked, exhausted, to Medical together. On their way, they encountered Sulu running to the conference room they had all met in earlier. It seemed like a lifetime ago…

Sulu opened the door to the conference room and found McCoy wrapping up brief medical examinations of the senior staff. “What the hell happened?”

“We got ambushed and they took the Captain.” Uhura told him as she rushed to get a communication line open with the surface. On another screen, she rushed to get a message to Starfleet.

“Is everyone else alright?”

“Dammit, does it even matter?” McCoy was outraged. “They have her! They shot her! We barely made it out!” He was waving his arms expressively.

Sulu stood his ground. He even stood a little straighter to show he wasn’t afraid of McCoy’s ire. “It does matter, sir! If we’re going to organize a rescue effort, I’d prefer to have everyone as fully functional as possible. Any injured crew members _will not_ be allowed to assist. So if you’re injured, please speak up now so you can be confined to quarters!” McCoy blinked at the pilot, stunned at this admonition. He had once asked Sulu to remind him to never piss him off. Apparently McCoy had forgotten this request.

“Lieutenant, I do not believe we will be requested to assemble a rescue effort. Starfleet will likely accompany us to negotiate for the release of Captain Kirk and no rescue attempt will be necessary.”

“All due respect, Commander, I don’t think anyone here gives a damn what Starfleet is going to do or say. We’re getting her back with or without their help.” Everyone in the room stared at Sulu as he stood there seeming bigger than he ever had before. McCoy nodded, both impressed and approving; he would stand behind Sulu’s statement to the very end.

If she could see him at that moment, Jen Kirk would be incredibly proud of the man she’d left in charge of the Enterprise.

*********

A sharp slap to her face woke Jen from an induced slumber. She gasped and immediately attempted to take in her surroundings, but her vision was blurred. A dull but very persistent and painful throb emanated from her thigh where she remembered a bullet passing through her flesh. She blinked and shook her head to clear her vision but it did little to help. A wave of nausea passed over her and she heard someone yelling in the room with her. What she could tell without the use of her temperamental eyes was that she was tied to a chair with her hands behind her back. There were three distinct voices in the same room as her and several more outside.

“It is time for you to wake, Captain!” someone yelled directly in front of her. She could only assume this was the same person who had slapped her moments ago. Jen didn’t react fast enough for him and he slapped her again. He’d slapped her so hard her nose began to bleed. He had also dislodged her breathing mask. For one reason or another, he righted it for her.

“Alright!” she yelled in return. The second slap had done wonders for her blurred vision and she was finally able to inspect the room. Not that there was much for her to inspect. In front of her stood a male Tiam-Na wearing dark goggles and a sneer. The walls of the room were dirty. A single, bright light shone on her from the ceiling. A silver tray with instruments on it sat on a nearby table. Tendrils of fear crept through her body as she looked at the silver tray. Suddenly, her chin was yanked back to look at the man in front of her.

“I’ll give you the tour later, sweetheart, for now I need you to do me a favor; smile!” A flash erupted in front of her face and she realized he’d taken a picture of her. “Thank you, precious.” The term of endearment make her stomach turn. He next spoke in English and Jen guessed it was for her benefit. “Send the picture to the embassy. Tell them we will return the captain only when they comply with our demands. Their Federation guests may also be interested in seeing the picture.”

“What _are_ your demands?” Jen asked from her chair.

“What makes you think I’d tell you, human?”

Jen chuckled. “As an interested party, I’d like to know. Just out of curiosity.”

The man leered closer to her and raked his eyes over her face. “Isn’t there an Earth expression; ‘curiosity killed the cat?’ You don’t want to be killed, do you?”

Instead of showing fear, which she only felt minimally and not because of the threat, she smirked at him. “I’m no cat.”

He huffed out a laugh and his expression darkened the second before he back-handed her. He’d knocked her breathing mask askew again but didn’t put it back right away. The gloves he wore must have had metal on each knuckle because pain streaked across her brow and cheek as fresh wounds opened in several lines on her face. The air she was forced to breathe for a few moments was acrid in her mouth and moved slowly through her lungs; it was almost like breathing through a drinking straw. It would be annoying, no doubt, to lose her mask, but it would be mostly manageable.

“My name is Peesh. You may call me Peesh or you may say nothing at all. Our demands have little to actually do with you. You’re a convenient bargaining chip.” He got close to her face once more. Gripping her chin, he placed the breathing mask back in place. “A very pretty bargaining chip, too.” He licked the side of her face and she recoiled from him. He only laughed at her and stepped away.

He said something to his companions in a language she didn’t understand and left the room. One by one, her other captors followed their leader, leaving her completely alone in the room. They hadn’t turned the light off and she wondered if this was part of their scheme. She got as comfortable as she could and waited, hoping that her crew would be able to get her out soon.


	4. Brief Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen is brought back to the embassy to be used as a bargaining chip. She is minimally treated for her wounds, but then things take an even more dangerous turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta read, as per usual.
> 
> This chapter kinda got away from me and ended up being 3.5k words >.> But I like it!
> 
> Fair warning: From here on out, it will start to get more violent. These guys are not nice and they don't like Jen that much, so they're going to mistreat her. I know I tagged it for violence, but now we're starting to actually get into it. So, just be aware if anyone has any qualms about that.

It had been two days already since Jen was taken. The Tiam-Na embassy had just contacted the Enterprise with news and they were all listening avidly.

“We know they have Captain Kirk and that she has been… mildly mistreated.” Lowk Gomlek spoke carefully and with worry etched all over his face. McCoy twitched at the admission that Jen was hurt and there was nothing he could do about it. “She is still alive, that much we know for certain. We also know that she has been injured, though we do not know the extent of her injuries. They are holding her captive in the interests that we comply with a number of their demands, so we know that they are unlikely to harm her irreparably.”

“What kind of demands are they making and is there anything we can do to help you?” Sulu spoke from the Captain’s chair. He’d never had to be acting Captain for this long before, but he was not uncomfortable with the role.

“Unfortunately, I do not believe there is anything you can do. They want a certain amount of representation they are not entitled to and resources we are not willing or even able to give. We are not willing to give this because they are a terrorist group.” Sulu sat up a little straighter. “I’m sure you can understand that granting already precious resources to a terrorist group would be tremendously dangerous.” Sulu – and several other crew – nodded reluctantly. “We are assembling committees to discuss how they should be dealt with. If you would like to be a part of those proceedings, we would welcome a small delegation of two of your officers. We could not risk more, though.”

Spock moved forward and said, “Sir, I would be more than willing to accept one of those positions if you would be willing to grant permission –”

“Granted. Anyone else?” Sulu turned to the usual landing party and raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll go, too.” McCoy said. “Nurse Chapel can handle Sickbay for now.” Sulu nodded and the two left for the shuttle bay.

“Lowk, are you sure there is nothing we can do to help?”

He solemnly shook his head. “I sincerely doubt your Federation would allow you to interfere anyway. But I do appreciate your concern. We will welcome your crew and include them in all of our discussions, but if there is any sign they may be in danger, we will send them back to your ship.”

“Understood.” Sulu rose from the chair to show respect. “Thank you for your efforts. Hopefully we will be able to resolve this quickly and peacefully.”

“My thoughts exactly. We will contact you soon. Goodbye, Acting Captain.”

The view screen went blank and Sulu sank back into the chair. The entire bridge was quiet except for the gentle whir of technology. He stroked his upper lip thoughtfully and sighed. This was going to make for one hell of a log entry.

*********

Jen had not slept easily or well when she was allowed time to do so. Her captors seemed to think it funny to abuse her simply for the hell of it. They’d made it clear she was not a pawn, merely a bargaining chip, so they had no qualms about smacking her around a bit. She feared they might get a little more aggressive the longer their embassy did nothing.

Her fears would soon be realized.

“Captain Kirk!” The leader of the group burst into the room, throwing his arms wide. “Are you well rested, my dear?” Jen only fixed him with a small smirk. He’d grown very tired of her flip regard for him and she knew she was treading a dangerous line. “I see that you are. Excellent!” He raised his foot to the seat of her chair and kicked out. She tumbled to the ground, hitting her head and slightly crushing her left arm. She only grunted at the pain. The man stepped into her eye line and crouched down.

“It seems your friends are not so invested in your safe return. We have been in communication with the embassy and they’ve told us that your friends have left you behind. Seems they’re leaving you in the ‘capable’ hands of the Tiam-Na government. Or what’s left of it.” A snide laugh escaped him and he stood up to walk around her. He made one complete circuit around her body and on his way back into her field of vision, he intentionally trod on her ankle. She grit her teeth and tried not to make a noise, though the man was heavy enough to crunch her bones together.

“We’re taking a field trip. Up you get, Captain!” Before she could react, not that she was going to give him the satisfaction of a response, he grabbed her by her ponytail and hauled her upright. She was caught so by surprise that she could not control the yelp that left her mouth. He cut the ties binding her to the chair after all four of its legs were on the ground again. Yanking her to her feet, he shoved her towards the door where one of his colleagues was waiting to bind her hands again. She stumbled because of the wound left untreated in her leg. They paid her misstep no mind and guided her out the door.

“Any requests, Captain?” the man now holding her arm asked.

“Eat shit and die?”

Her sass was met with a harsh blow to the head. She felt a sudden but steady rush of blood seep down her forehead and cheek. After being briefly stunned, she began to laugh. This only served to incite his anger further and she earned herself another blow, this time much harder and to her ribs. She could feel two of them break on contact. The pain almost made her cry out again but she was able to bite it back. A black bag was thrown over her head and she was tossed into what she assume was a vehicle of some sort. They jostled toward and unknown destination. Jen only hoped that they were not taking her to be executed.

*********

Lowk Gomlek spoke in low tones to his aides who had rushed into the room. He nodded, waved them away, and turned to Spock and McCoy.

“They are bringing her here.” He held up his hand to stop the officers as they both went to speak. “They are under the impression that all of your officers have left the planet and now we fear their cooperation may rest on that false knowledge. We want to afford you the opportunity to see your captain, but we won’t be able to return her to you just yet. For that, I apologize.”

“I don’t mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are they bringin’ her here?” McCoy asked, uneasy.

“I am led to believe that they are attempting to attain what they want faster by allowing us to actually see that she is still alive and mostly undamaged. A show of good faith, if you will. They could send us photographs all they want, but they know just as well as we do that those are not solid enough evidence to instill confidence and trust.”

“I guess that’s fair.” McCoy conceded. “So what do you want us to do?”

A doctor called Halma Reffsot stepped forward to answer him. “I would like to request a health spray or injection of yours. We know that she was shot in the leg right before they took her and we have reason to believe they have not treated it.” Rage flared in McCoy’s usually steady gaze. He willingly gave the hypo spray to the doctor. “I will give this to her to hopefully stop any possible infection. Unfortunately, they will more than likely not allow me to examine her beyond that, so any physical damage she has sustained will remain until we can return her to your ship.”

Lowk took over the discussion after the exchange. “We will be able to conceal you while the terrorist group is here, but it is vital that you remain concealed. I know that seeing your captain in such distress will cause you alarm, but you must remain hidden, is that understood?” Both Spock and McCoy nodded. “Very well. They are on their way, so please follow me.”

Lowk led the way to a small room. He opened a very small window for each of them to look through. They could only assume that on the other side of the wall was a way for the open windows to be unseen, even though they were barely large enough to be seen through. In his head, McCoy likened this small area to a speakeasy rotgut room. Spock said nothing once they entered the area and McCoy followed suit because he had no idea how soon they would be bringing Jen to the embassy.

No one had to wait long because within minutes, there was a violent outburst from just on the other side of the embassy doors. It didn’t sound like an explosion, but gunfire was concern enough. McCoy’s heart stung for the innocent lives they were likely taking in the name of their “cause.”

From their vantage point, Spock and McCoy could vaguely hear Lowk and his fellow council members negotiating with the terrorist group to leave their weapons behind so that business could be conducted in relative peace. Though they outwardly agreed, no one in the room trusted them to disarm themselves entirely and tensions were still high. The rebel group entered, towing a bound Jen Kirk still with a bag over her head. McCoy tensed even further when she was brought into view.

Jen fell to the floor as she was unceremoniously tossed into the room. With her hands bound, she was unable to stop or cushion her tumble and she fell hard into her side. An involuntary cry left her throat as she landed on her injured ribs.

“May I be allowed to examine her?” asked the doctor.

Peesh considered for a moment. “I take it you have a human health supplement?” When the doctor nodded, he granted permission. Before the doctor could gently assist Jen to her feet, Peesh gripped her arm hard and hauled her to her feet. She twisted out of his too-tight grip and fell once more to the floor. Suddenly enraged, he kicked out at her and yelled, “Cooperate, Captain! This is the last chance you’ll have for aid, I suggest you take it!”

After he again yanked her from the ground, he shoved her to the doctor who caught her gingerly. He removed the bag from her head and she blinked at the sudden influx of light. The blood had caked on her face and her hair was a mess, even though it was still up in a ponytail. She looked around the room, confused, and then fixed her eyes on the doctor in front of her. He brandished the hypo spray given him by McCoy and assured her he would take care of her the best he could. Jen raked her eyes across the room and McCoy’s heart leapt at the thought that she was searching for him. It sank just as fast because he knew there would be no way to let her know he was still here without breaking the promise to their hosts.

“Take her over there while Lowk and I discuss the niceties.” Peesh ordered the doctor, gesturing in the direction of the wall where the hidden room was located. The doctor happily moved her and would welcome her own doctor’s appraisal of her well-being afterwards.

“May I remove your mask to get a better look at your facial injuries?” Halma asked her. Jen nodded her cooperation. “I will try to be as quick as possible. I know the air is difficult for you to breathe.”

“Yeah, but it’s manageable. Do what you need to, Doctor.”

He thanked her and removed the mask. There was a ring of blood around her nose and mouth where the edges of the mask had been. He cleaned her up quickly before tending to her face. One of her cheekbones was broken, but there was not much he could do to fix that. She had more cuts and bruises than anything else, but her cheek would be sore and swollen for days if she was not allowed to go back to her own sickbay. He removed the hypo spray and went to use it. Jen stilled his hand and looked into his eyes, imploring him to understand her question without her speaking.

Halma glanced quickly across the room to see that Peesh was deeply engaged in conversation with Lowk. Nonetheless, he kept his voice down so only she could hear. “Two of your officers are here. Your doctor gave this to me to forestall infection and ease your pain. Unfortunately, we can’t afford to allow you to see them because that would jeopardize the peace talks.” Jen nodded. Her eyes still darted around, searching for any sign of her friends.

A sudden rise in volume of the conversation behind them drew their attention. Lowk had been telling Peesh that their demands would need to be amended if they truly expected a compromise to happen. Peesh clearly did not take the news very well and was becoming increasingly more agitated. Halma turned his attention back to Jen. He’d done as much as he could with her facial wounds so he repositioned her breathing mask. Jen’s chest heaved with the renewed ease of airflow into her lungs.

“Is my crew okay? Did they all make it?” The words left Jen’s lips in a quiet rush.

“They all managed to escape and I believe with minimal injury.”

“And your people? I know the doctor who’d met with Bones was killed. I’m very sorry about that. But did everyone else make it out alright?”

“Yes, thank you. We had minimal injuries as well.” He smiled at her, his eyes full of sorrow for his fallen comrade. “I am going to cause you some pain now, Captain. I need to assess the state of your ribs. However, I will deliver the health spray first to hopefully ease some of that discomfort.” He injected the hypo spray into her thigh and she sighed. The pain in her bullet wound virtually ceased immediately and she could feel the wonders of modern Starfleet medicine beginning to heal it. She would need much more treatment before it would heal completely, but at least this would keep her from infection.

“You’re much gentler than _my_ doctor.” Halma chuckled lightly. Jen couldn’t see him, but Bones smiled warmly at her words. He wanted to be able to forcefully put the hypo spray into her neck like he always did and have a little piece of their world be normal.

“Your doctor cares about you greatly. As does your first officer. I would love to return you to them, but you’ll understand I don’t know when that will happen.” Jen sighed and nodded solemnly. Halma then began to poke at her sides as gently as he could manage. She grit her teeth and groaned, but did her best not to moved. “You have multiple broken ribs, Captain. I do not suspect a punctured lung, but your ribs will not heal unless they are bound and you do not stress them.”

Jen barked out a laugh. “I don’t think I’ll have that option. Binding, sure, but these guys don’t seem to care very much about my well-being and –” Before Jen could continue, a large hand clapped painfully down on her shoulder. She looked up to see Peesh’s second in command glaring down at her. She had not heard anyone call him by name yet, but she also doubted it mattered very much.

“How is she, Doctor? Clean bill of health?” His fingers dug painfully and dangerously into her shoulder. Jen figured she would have bruises later.

“Almost. I need to bind her ribs; they’ve been broken.”

“Then do it!” The man backed away from the pair and leaned against the wall concealing Spock and Bones.

Reluctantly, the doctor needed to request that Jen remove her jacket and any layers underneath. “I know it will be cold, but I will try to be as quick as possible. I’m sorry, Captain.”

Jen nodded and took off her jacket, tucking it between her knees. She kept her eyes on the terrorist as she lifted her shirts. She’d worn two shirts underneath to keep herself warm. Neither of those shirts bore Starfleet logos because Spock had been so careful to ensure the outermost layer for everyone would. Superficially, Jen knew her bra covered her most intimate bits entirely, but suddenly it was not enough. Goosebumps blossomed on her flesh and she was not sure it was entirely because of the cold air assaulting her skin.

The terrorist made a thoughtful noise in his throat as he raked his eyes over Jen’s mostly naked torso. “Not bad for an alien, is she, Doctor?”

The doctor paid the terrorist no attention as he quickly bound Jen’s ribs. She could feel a blush spreading across her face, neck, and shoulders. Anger and shame written across her face. The terrorist laughed and approached her. He ran his hand up her arm and she flinched away from him. Behind the wall, Bones clutched his hands so tightly into fists that his knuckles turned white and his palms began to bleed.

“Now, now, my sweet. Don’t be like that.” The man walked behind Jen and leaned down to smell her hair and run his hand up her side.

Without thinking, Jen brought her elbow up as hard as she could and connected with his nose. Purple blood spilled down her chest and he began yelling and cursing in his native language. Jen shoved the doctor away from her to keep him safe and then she felt something sharp penetrate her collar bone. She screamed and ripped the dagger out, brandishing it as a weapon. Her jacket fell to the floor and she righted her shirts as best she could. The distraction was enough for someone to get the upper hand on her and land a solid kick to the side of her head. She crumbled to the ground, dazed. The fog created in her brain lifted just enough for her to make the decision to discreetly slip the knife into her boot. Before she could react further, she felt herself being hoisted up onto someone’s shoulder. Again too dazed to do much of anything, she tried kicking her feet up and digging her nails into the man’s flesh. She was too weak to do much damage, though.

“Get her out of here and get back to the bunker!” yelled Peesh. He pulled a small gun from his belt and aimed at Lowk. “Negotiations are over, my friend. Give us what we want by the end of the day tomorrow, or we will rain down hellfire on your embassy and take what we want anyway.” He began backing towards where his partner was taking Jen out the door. Stunning even herself, Jen reared up, wrapped her legs around the man, and forced her body weight down and back. She managed to get her hands planted on the ground and flipped the man underneath her. Gaping up at her, he was too shocked to do anything but lay on the ground.

Jen leaped up quickly and ran at Peesh. She rammed her shoulder into his mid-section, knocking him on his back. “Run! Go!” she yelled at Lowk and his people. One of his aides was already at the door and had yanked it open to escape. Another of his aides was rushing him over to the door and acting as a shield. As Jen made sure that they’d made it to the door safely, her feet were suddenly knocked out from underneath her. The terrorist seized her ankle and pulled it into the air and then she was being dragged towards the exit.

“Jen!” The voice made her heart clench in her chest and unwanted tears spring to the corners of her eyes. She whipped her head back to the source and saw him. Bones was being restrained by Lowk’s men, though he was putting up a good fight.

“Bones!” Jen shrieked. She tried to flip her body over and crawl towards him, but the grip on her ankle did not relent and only dragged her faster out the door. “Bones!” she screamed again. The fear in his eyes made her sob once. She kicked out in frustration. Reaching out with one of her hands turned out to be a mistake as she was suddenly and violently yanked out the doors and one of her fingernails was left behind. She clutched the hand to her chest. The last vision she got of Bones before the door was closed between them was of him stumbling to the ground under restraint of the Tiam-Na and yelling for her. Jen screamed, long and angry, before sagging in defeat. She allowed them to put the bag back over her head and putting her back into their vehicle.

Even though they had come here on a mission of peace and goodwill, these people had made it a mission of war and Jen would stop at nothing to make sure these people paid for what they’d done to her as well as to their own people.


	5. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the botched meeting, Jen is taken back to the hideout. She finally gets the chance to escape and she takes it with a vengeance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the deal by now about beta reading ;3
> 
> WARNING: There is an attempted rape in this chapter. I've altered the tags accordingly, but I wanted to include it at the beginning here, too. If it's not something you want to read about, navigate away right now. Mind, he doesn't get very far and he also gets punished for it, but it's still a thing that almost happens and I wanted to be clear about that.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Enjoy!

The entire ride back to the bunker was spent with Jen in silence and her captors speaking hurriedly and angrily in their native tongue. Jen suspected they did this so she would have no information to go on. She’d begun to shiver again because her coat had been left back at the embassy. Knowing better than to ask for another, she remained quiet and tried to not shiver too violently.

Shortly afterwards, they arrived back at the bunker and Jen was again thrown over a shoulder to be carried back to her room. Her hands had been bound behind her back in transit when there was a lull in conversation. This had not surprised Jen at all. Also unsurprising to her was the fact that once they returned to the room Jen had been held in before, she was unceremoniously tossed onto the chair. Unable to get her balance, both she and the chair fell to the floor. The men didn’t seem to care and left the room.

Jen waited a few minutes to see if they would come back. When they did not, she struggled to her knees. Hanging her head, she shook it vigorously to see if she could knock the black bag off. She was successful in that endeavor, but only time would tell if she would be successful in her next. She listened carefully for any kind of movement outside the door. There was some noise in the distance, but it did not appear to be coming her way. The light in the room had not been turned on and she could finally see her surroundings.

The room was relatively small; about three meters across, four meters long, and three meters tall. There were no windows, so Jen would have to wait for an opportunity to escape by the door. Or she could _make_ an opportunity.

Bending to retrieve the dagger from her boot put a lot of strain on her ribs and black spots swam before her eyes as she righted herself. She took a moment to regulate her breathing and clear her vision before sawing at the ropes around her wrists. The process went pretty quickly and she was soon free. After cutting the bonds, she tucked the blade back into her boot. She rubbed at her wrists and her shoulder twinged from the wound given her earlier. Gingerly, she pulled her shirts aside to look at it. The wound was red and angry, but the bleeding had thankfully stopped. She feared what would happen if she moved it too much, though. Putting her shirts back in place, she rubbed at her arms to try and inspire warmth back into them. It did little good.

Suddenly, a noise came from right outside the door. Reacting quickly, she picked the chair up off the floor and sat in it, facing the door. She tucked both of her hands behind her back just in time for the door to be flung open. The nameless thug entered and slammed the door behind him.

“Hello, Captain. Comfy?” he sneered.

Jen shrugged as best she could with her arms behind the chair. “I could maybe use a pillow and some tea, but other than that I can’t complain.”

The terrorist snarled in rage and back-handed her across the face, breaking skin and causing bruises to instantly blossom under her skin. She fell to the floor and was unable to conceal the fact that her bonds were no longer intact.

“What a clever little human. Got free, have you?” He stopped Jen’s feeble attempt at crawling away by stepping on her injured thigh. Jen wailed in pain and turned back to the man. He was lowering himself down to her level. He bracketed her in his grasp with his knees. Near panic erupted in Jen’s veins as she considered what he intended to do. She felt his large hand sweep across her injured cheek and burrow into her hair. He forced her head back and exposed the length of her neck. Disgust roiled through her as she fought to throw him off. “Now, now, pet. Don’t be like that. We’re just going to have some fun.” The next thing Jen knew, he began to lick up the side of her neck.

That was the final straw.

Using every ounce of strength she could muster, she thrust her fists up into his chest and her knee into what she hoped was the same kind of groin area on humans. It appeared the anatomy was roughly the same because he yelled in pain and toppled off of her. She scrambled to reach into her boot for the blade again. Once she wrapped her fingers around it, she leapt on top of him and plunged it into his chest. Her breath came ragged and wild as he clutched at her shoulders, trying in vain to throw her off. His strength was bleeding out onto his chest and leaking to the floor.

“You’re gonna… die… bitch…” were the final words that left his mouth as the last of his life oozed from his veins. Jen continued to breathe harshly for several minutes, just sitting on him to make sure he was truly dead. His purple blood again stained her skin and clothing. When she was sure, she withdrew the knife from his flesh and began to undo his belt. It would be a bit large on her, but he had a knife sheath on it that belonged to the knife she’d killed him with. She searched his pockets for anything that might come in handy and came up with nothing but the key to the room. Had he been wearing a jacket, she would have taken it, but this climate was comfortable to him and he wore only a thin shirt. She briefly cursed him for that.

She stood and stumbled a little. The pain in her thigh had flared again and she felt blood slowly making its way down her leg from the wound. She looked around for something to tie around her leg as a tourniquet and her eyes landed on his boots. As quickly as she could, she began to take the laces from them. She doubled the laces together and tied them around her leg almost to the point of being unbearable. She tested her weight and found it to be mostly comfortable; comfortable enough to get the hell out of this building anyway.

Sweeping her eyes across the room, she scanned for anything else she could take. There was nothing, so she went to the door. She opened it only a crack and looked out. There was a long hallway with other doors leading off of it. She held her breath for a moment and just listened. When she was fairly certain no one else was coming, she opened the door and slipped into the hallway. Out of spite, and thin hope that they would be slowed down by the action, Jen locked the door behind her. She crept down the hallway and scanned the doors. They all seemed to be locked. On the first couple, Jen tried the key and found that it did not fit any other locks.

“Shit!” she whispered. Before she gave too much thought to lingering and trying just to break into the room, she moved on. Noise was something she could not afford because it would undoubtedly draw attention to her and that was the last thing she needed. Halfway down the hall, she decided to ditch the key under a pile of rubble.

At the end of the hall, there was a T-junction. She stood and listened momentarily before creeping down the left hand corridor. An open door drew her attention and she made her way to it. Before sticking her head in, she listened but could hear nothing from inside. She eased into the room, staying low and tight against the wall. It appeared to be a sort of medical room. Unfortunately, the only thing that would do Jen any good would be the bandages; her body would either completely reject their medicine or react poorly and that was something she would rather not deal with. She pocketed some of the bandages.

On her way back into the hallway, a bottle caught Jen’s eye. It was simple water. Jen almost sobbed in relief. She snagged it and took a gulp. She searched the area again but did not find a bag. _Maybe in another room_ , she thought.

There was another room down the hall that had the bag she was looking for and another bottle of water. She thanked whatever gods were listening and slung the bag around her shoulders, bottles and bandages tucked safely inside. She continued to move through the maze of hallways and staircases, always going up. She began to wonder if she was even going in the right direction, but then she heard gunfire that sounded much too close. She tucked herself against a wall and waited.

Shouting could be heard from her right. It still sounded a little far away, so Jen slowly made her way towards it. A large window sat in the wall ahead of her and she peered over the sill, hopefully still out of sight. Below her was a large room. In it stood Peesh. Three Tiam-Na stood near him, brandishing large rifles.

Peesh was speaking angrily to someone who had just run into the room. From the look on his face, he was just informed of the demise of his friend.

“Jen Kirk!” he bellowed. “If you can hear me, know this; we are coming for you! We are going to kill you! And then we are going to kill your Federation friends! You’ve brought this on them and we will show no mercy to anyone aboard your ship!” He turned once more to his small crew and yelled, “Find her!”

Anger flooded Jen’s system and she leapt to action. She went to the adjacent end of the hall where she found some stairs. Instead of going up, this time, she went down. Even if she couldn’t kill Peesh right now, she would take one of his men down and escape to plan his demise later. She went down two flights of stairs and made her way in the direction of where she thought the large room was. Her sense of direction was not off because before too long, she came face to face with one of Peesh’s men. He appeared startled to see her but then his eyes became hard and cold. Not giving the action the least bit of consideration, Jen ran at the wall and pushed off of it so that her knife was level with his neck and sank in easily. He gurgled as they tumbled to the ground together. Purple pooled on the floor around them as he bled out quickly. Getting up, Jen sheathed her knife and took the gun from the man’s grip.

She held the gun aloft and at the ready as she crept down the hall. All of the fear had seeped out of Jen’s system as soon as Peesh made mention of slaughtering her crew. The nerve of the man fueled her rage because they had come here for peace and aid, not murder. Her senses were much more alert now as adrenaline thundered through her veins. She found a door leading to the large room Peesh had been standing in not moments ago. She looked through the small window to find no one in her eye line. She eased the door open as carefully as she could and entered the room. Keeping the gun aloft, she swept her eyes across the room.

It appeared to be a hangar or large storage area of some sort. Tall metal shelves stood all along the outside of the room and chains hung from the ceiling. A few of their vehicles stood, some in states of repair. The idea to abscond with one entered Jen’s mind, but before she could act on the impulse, another door across the room was thrown open. She wheeled around to point her gun in that direction.

“Well, well! Look who’s come to play!” Peesh taunted her. Jen began to back towards what she’d seen was a door to the outside. Seeing where she was headed, Peesh yelled something at the man standing next to him. The man raised his gun and Jen fired, killing him before he could kill her. Jen wondered briefly why Peesh did not have a firearm of his own. She dismissed the thought quickly and fired again at Peesh. The bullet passed through his shoulder and he fell to the ground. The noise had drawn the final two of his comrades to the room and they opened fire on Jen. She dove to her side and was hidden by a large stack of metal crates. The door was only 25 yards away. She broke into a sprint and shoved the door open, bullets flying by her.

Outside, a harsh wind chilled her to her bones, but she broke into a run in the clearest direction she could see. After passing a couple of buildings, she decided that she should run between them. Just as she heard more angry shouts coming from behind her, she ducked into an alleyway. But she didn’t stop because to stop would mean she would probably die. A couple more streets down, she stopped to look around her.

The buildings were tall, but rundown. This must be a section of the city that Lowk had been hoping the Federation would help them salvage. It certainly looked like it needed it. In the distance, Jen could see what looked like a junkyard. Maybe she’d be able to find a vehicle to get back to the embassy and get back to her ship. Course set, she began to weave between buildings to get there. She listened as closely as she could to whether or not Peesh and his remaining men were behind her. She could hear gunfire closer than she would like, but it seemed like she had outrun them for now.

Jen located the tallest building closest to the junk yard and looked for a way inside. There was a glass door on the ground floor that seemed to be the only way inside. She raised the butt of her gun and smashed the glass. No alarm sounded and Jen wasn’t sure anyone was in the building at all. She went through the door marked for the stairs and climbed as high as the stairs would go. When she exited the stairwell, she looked around.

The building looked to be an apartment complex, but every door was open and there was little to nothing in every single space. At the end of the hall, Jen found a ladder leading to the roof. She slung the gun across her back and climbed carefully up. The hatch leading up lifted with no small amount of effort. Once she got onto the roof, she left the hatch open so she could get back down. From this building, she could see around for miles. The embassy was pretty easy to spot and she marked its position in her head. She then looked out at the rest of the city. Black clouds of smoke rose from several places in the distance. Jen wondered how they could have not been shown any of this.

“Well, if they had, they knew we wouldn’t agree to help them.” she reasons aloud with herself. Then she began to laugh. “Talking to yourself, Jen? What would Bones say?” At her own mention of Bones, her heart tightened. She hoped he’d made it out alright.

Abandoning the roof, she climbed back down into the building and closed the roof hatch. She made her way back down the hall to the stairs. She descended to a lower floor, just in case she had to escape quickly. She decided a fall from four floors up would be painful, but survivable so she started from there looking for a room to sleep in. After finding nothing on the fourth floor, she descended again to the third. This time, she found a room that had a small couch and a blanket. Again, she thanked any gods who were listening as she turned the couch to face the wall away from the window. She closed and locked the door, hoping that if anyone came looking for her she would be able to escape. At any rate, someone trying to break down a locked door would be a pretty good alarm clock.

Painfully, Jen settled into the couch after placing her bag on the floor and she pulled the blanket over her. It took her a long time to stop shivering enough to get some sleep. She fell into unconsciousness with fading thoughts of her crew and their safety. Her thoughts lingered heavily on Bones as her mind finally shut down.


	6. A Little Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen has a small, quiet moment of normalcy while the Enterprise crew continues to worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill by now ;P
> 
> I felt like a small break from the chaos was needed, so we have this chapter. Hopefully you enjoy!

Jen woke the next morning, not having dreamt at all. She wondered how restful her sleep really could have been if she didn’t dream. She felt only slightly better as she sat up carefully. Her ribs screamed at her to stop moving, but she knew she couldn’t afford to. A hollow pain gnawed at her insides as she realized it had been days since she’d eaten. She had been so fueled by adrenaline and rage that she hadn’t noticed how hungry she really was. In vain, Jen removed one of the bottles of water from her bag. She gulped down some of the water and she could feel it slosh into her empty stomach. Cringing, she put the bottle away and stood to stretch.

The constant gunfire had barely registered with Jen as she moved about the room. Her leg protested slightly and she sat back down to examine it. She picked up the bottle of water again and poured some of it over her wound. It stung and she hissed, but she rubbed at it anyway. She poured more of the water and rubbed until she was fairly certain that the wound was as clean as she could get it. She then dug out the bandages. Self-consciously, she looked around the room just make sure no one was around.

“Idiot! You’re on the third floor. Not even these guys are tall enough to see through windows this high!” she scolded herself.

Without further irrational thought, she stood to undo her pants and pull them down. The wound glared up at her, still very angry. It occurred to Jen that she would have to clean the other side as well and she cupped her hand to pour some water into it. She made one pass with the water before she had a thought. She looked around again for a door possibly leading to a bathroom. She figured the chances were good that if they drank water like humans, they cleaned with it, too.

Standing and doing up her pants again, Jen made her way over to the door she spied on one wall. She sucked in a breath in pre-emptive triumph as she found that it indeed led to a bathroom. She limped over to the sink and turned one of the knobs. A little water dribbled out of the faucet and she cursed. Suddenly, the pipes coughed and spat dirty water out. Jen pinched her lips together in anticipation. She let the water run for a few moments and until it began to run clear and hot. She pumped her fist in the air and thanked the building for cooperating with her.

The mirror above the sink would prove useful for examining her wounds better. She had no desire to look at her face because she knew it would be awful. Instead, Jen turned off the sink faucet went over to the shower in the corner and tried the knobs. Water again started to pour dirty from the faucet, but soon turned clear and ran hot. Jen retrieved her bag and the blanket from the main room and closed the door to the bathroom. The room quickly filled with steam and Jen warmed slightly. She stripped off her clothing, only bothering to wash her underwear and hang it on the side of the sink. Without the luxury of soap, Jen knew this shower would only be slightly useful. But at least she would be able to get the dirt and sweat out of her wounds.

She carefully removed the breathing mask and placed it in the sink then she stepped under the spray. It felt so good on her sore muscles and stung on her wounds. She stood there, letting the water cascade over her until it began to get chilly. She turned the water off and stepped out. The blanket was probably dirtier than was minimally sanitary, but Jen was mostly using it for warmth and not really to dry off. She put her hair back up with her hair elastic before she affixed the mask back to her face, making breathing much easier. Once she knew she could wait no longer, she removed the blanket from around her body and stood to examine her wounds in the mirror.

Nothing could be done for her missing fingernail, so she merely wrapped it up and hoped for the best. The gash at her shoulder would heal easily once she got back to the Enterprise and she wrapped it quickly before moving on to here other, more serious wounds. An enormous, dark bruise lay on her side where she knew her ribs were broken. She wrapped her ribs as tight as she could stand while still being able to breathe. Finally, she hoisted her leg up on the sink to get a look at the back of her thigh. The wound seemed to be just as angry as the opposite side, but it also appeared to be just as clean. She wrapped her thigh up and redressed herself.

Wrapping up once more in the blanket, she stepped back out into the main room. There was a small kitchen at one end and Jen searched the cabinets to no avail. She was not terribly surprised at this, but she also had minor hopes that she would be able to find something non-perishable to eat. She sighed in defeat and sipped at her water again. Before she left the building, she decided to fill up the water bottle she’d drained with water from the sink. Jen folded the blanket up, hoping that if she didn’t find what she was looking for and wasn’t able to come back, she would be able to stay warm.

With that, she set out for the junkyard to see if she could find a vehicle to get her back to the embassy. She hoped that, if she found one, she would only have to do minimal repairs in order to get out of here. All cleverness aside, Jen was tired and just wanted to go home.

*********

“Have you heard anything, Lowk?” Sulu asked. They had hailed the embassy from orbit after getting their officers back on board.

“Yes. But it’s not exactly good news.” Lowk said, solemnly. Sulu gestured for him to continue. “We’ve been made aware that Captain Kirk has escaped from the terrorists, but she also killed two of them in the process. Peesh has vowed that we will pay for her transgression and he says he is planning an assault. We don’t know how valid the threat is because we know his forces were limited to begin with. But, we’re not taking any chances.”

“Would you like our assistance? I can send and emergency communique to Starfleet saying that you require our assistance, if you like?”

“Sir, I do not believe that would –”

“Not now, Spock! They need help and I can’t just sit here and watch while war is declared because of our presence.”

“Thank you, Acting Captain, but I believe your first officer may be right.”  Lowk looked genuinely sorry to be refusing their help. “I think any further involvement may put our alliance in further jeopardy than it is already in. We appreciate the offer, I assure you.”

“Well, Lowk, with all due respect; we’re not going anywhere and not just because our rightful captain is still on the surface. It’s not in me to back down when someone needs help.” Lowk began to protest, but Sulu raised his hand. “I will send the communique to Starfleet and we will stay close by in orbit. We will not act until you ask us to. I just want you to know we are here and we have a lot more firepower than they do.”

Lowk smiled, tired and relieved. “Thank you very much, Mr. Sulu. I do appreciate that.” He then sighed and rubbed his eyes. “We are attempting to continue negotiations with the terrorists, but I do not know how successful we will be. I will update you daily on everything we have. I cannot promise much, but I will let you know everything I can.”

“Thank you, Lowk. And good luck.”

They ended the hail and Sulu sighed greatly. He sagged back into the Chair and scrubbed his hand down his face.

“Dr. McCoy?” McCoy stepped forward. “Could I speak to you in the Ready Room?” He nodded and they both headed to the room. “Mr. Spock, you have the Con.”

“Aye, sir.”

Once the door whooshed closed and separated them from the Bridge, Sulu stood and looked at McCoy. They were both very tense.

“How did she look, Len?”

“Honestly? She looked like shit. And all I had to give was one damn hypo spray that would only really be good for easing her pain and stopping already present infection. If she’s sustained any penetrating injuries since then, she could get infected real easy. Even if she could get her hands on any medical supplies, it’s not formulated for her body.” McCoy ran a hand through his hair and looked at Sulu, stricken. “If we can’t get her back on board, she could die.”

“That’s not a contingency I’m willing to consider just yet.” Sulu was just as upset as McCoy, but he knew he needed to be a captain and was doing his best to exude confidence he didn’t particularly feel. “I know they don’t want us back on the surface unless they absolutely need us, but I want you to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.” McCoy nodded. “I’ll have a shuttle prepped and ready to fly so as soon as we need you to, you can just be there.”

“Yes, sir.” McCoy stood at attention for only a minute more before a more casual stance took over. He was too exhausted to sustain formality. “Want a drink?”

Sulu sagged with the same exhaustion. “God, yes! Shift ends in a half hour. You, me, Scotty?”

“Deal. I’ll bring the booze.”

The three of them met in Sulu’s quarters after their collective shift was over. They sat together, drinking and being generally gruff, but all very concerned for the well-being of their captain. McCoy held back that he felt Jen’s absence in his soul. He wasn’t yet ready to call it love, but he knew he would be lost if they didn’t get Jen back soon. He also neglected to mention that he was scared she was flashing back to Tarsus IV. This mission would leave them all a little worse for wear, but none worse than Jen Kirk. McCoy desperately wanted her back on the ship…


	7. The Jump Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen gets lucky for once in her life. Right before she stops being lucky again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the length of time between postings. Been having a bit of a rough time personally... But hopefully I'll be able to post more often from here on out. Especially if people continue to read this.
> 
> Un-beta read as usual. Feedback is so welcome, you don't even know!

The junkyard was much what anyone would expect: it was full of junk. Most of the junk was rusted and useless. Also, there was no order to any of it, so Jen had to fight her way through pile after pile of abandoned crap before she found something worth looking at twice. It was under a gigantic pile of scraps. Jen removed the scraps as carefully as she could manage because she may need them later. Slowly, she revealed what she had initially thought to be a land vehicle. It turned out to be a small jump ship. Jen almost jumped into the air in her excitement.

She cleared the rubble around the ship as best she could until she found a door. Wrenching it open was not quite as difficult as she’d expected, although her ribs protested the exertion. Inside the ship was virtually immaculate. Jen didn’t know what happened to this ship to render it “junk,” but if it required repairs, she would be surprised. She went back outside to retrieve her bag and gun and brought them inside with her. She didn’t want to run the risk of the bag being see and someone coming to investigate.

“Of course, if someone sees the rearranged junk, they’ll probably come running, too.” Scolding herself seemed to be becoming a habit. It was probably a product of the solitude. Damn, she missed her crew…

Once back inside, Jen began to poke around. She was literally hitting any button she could press in hopes of inspiring some kind of reaction from the craft. Lights began turning on and Jen couldn’t resist dancing briefly. The celebration died quickly, though, because the controls were written in the language of the Tiam-Na.

“Okay. This is manageable. I can do this. Let me just…” she tried pressing a few more buttons and only succeeded in turning on the lights and getting what she assumed was an aural systems check in a language she couldn’t understand.

She abandoned the pursuit of changing the language for now and focused on doing a visual assessment of the ship. There was some structural damage on the outer hull that would need to be repaired before she could take this ship anywhere. The scraps would most certainly come in handy for that, but Jen needed to find something to weld with. She climbed on top of the ship and looked around. A building stood on the edge of the junkyard. Jen climbed down from the ship and hoped that the building held some maintenance equipment.

She carefully made her way over and tried the door. It wouldn’t budge. Jen withdrew the knife from her belt and wedged it between the door and the jamb. After a little wiggling and nudging and cursing, the door finally sprang open. Stepping inside, she let her eyes adjust and looked around for anything resembling a welding torch. She picked up several devices that turned out to not be what she was looking for. A metal shelving unit sat against one wall with boxes on it. The writing on top was literally alien to her and instead of trying to decipher it, she ripped the box open. Jen almost sobbed as she beheld an almost human welding torch. It appeared to be cordless and an igniter sat with it.

“Oh my god, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please have fuel, please have fuel!” Jen turned on the welding torch and heard a satisfying hiss. She flicked the igniter and blue light erupted in front of her. Before she could contain herself, Jen squealed with delight. “Thank you!” she said to the appliance. She turned it off and looked into the box again to see if there was an additional container of fuel. She was lucky enough to find one, so she put it in her bag and made her way back to the jump ship.

When she got back to the ship, she tucked her belonging safely inside and went to work choosing appropriate pieces of metal to mend the outside of the ship. It would not be a pretty thing once she finished, but it only had to get her off world. As long as it held together, Jen didn’t care what it looked like. She spent the rest of the daylight hours fixing hull breaches and making sure that the craft would be structurally secure.

Once she was certain, she took a break and sat down inside. She pulled out the blanket and bundled herself up in it, cradling a bottle of water to her chest. With the door closed, the interior was actually pretty warm due to her body heat. But it would not stay through the night. Especially since she was going to go outside again soon to get back to her little apartment space. Jen allowed herself another couple minutes of warm blanket snuggling before she rose to her feet. Aching muscles protested her every move, but she pushed herself to keep going. She packed her bag again, slung her gun over her shoulder, and opened the ship door.

The cold air hit her like a slap in the face, but she trudged forward. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but she was able to see most of what was around her. She slowly made her way out of the junkyard, limping slightly. All the while, she was listening carefully for any signs of danger. In the distance was the pretty constant sound of gunfire. Jen wondered what could possibly be going on that people were still firing at one another.

Once she reached the gates of the junkyard and had to cross open terrain, she grew more cautious. Before she moved at all, she stopped and listened yet again. The gunfire still seemed to be far enough in the distance that she felt comfortable enough to try and hustle to the apartment building. She got there quickly and safely enough and made her way back up to the room she’d made hers the night before. Her muscles ached and she was cold. A good night’s sleep would do her some good. She didn’t bother washing off the day’s grime; she was just going to replace it with more tomorrow. She cuddled under the blanket and fell asleep quickly.

Only a few hours of sleep were afforded the good captain. She woke to the sound of her door being banged on in an attempt to break it down or break it in half. Without even thinking about it, she bolted upright and grabbed the bag and gun from right beside her. As she was running for the window, the door cracked tellingly. She could hear shouts in the language of the planet. She tried prying the lock and pushing the window open, but it proved difficult. She pushed even harder and finally got it open enough to shove the bag and gun through. They clattered to the ground and she began hoisting herself up onto the sill. Behind her, the door cracked again and split into the room. She could see Peesh’s head on the other side and he yelled triumphantly when they made eye contact. He quickly stuck his arm through the small opening, holding a hand gun. He fired, but couldn’t see where he was aiming and only succeeded in shattering the window next to Jen. She dodged as best she could, but the force of the blast imbedded some of the glass into her flesh all along the left side of her body.

Spurred on by his closer proximity and the pain erupting all along her body, she pushed herself further up and out of the window. Dangling out it, she tried to find the best way down to do herself the least amount of harm. There was a story-tall metal structure she assumed used to heat the building slightly to her left.

“Shit!” Jen knew that by swinging to land on the structure, she would probably end up rolling and burying the glass further into her. Pain and injury be damned, she swung herself over so that she could fall the two stories to the structure. She let go of the window sill just as she heard Peesh breaking the door down entirely. She landed hard and her training took over as he rolled to cushion her landing a little. She groaned as the glass dug into her deeper, but she quickly got down from the structure and grabbed her gun. As she was stretching to grab her bag, a bullet whizzed by her hand, almost nicking it, and struck the ground. She jerked her hand back and looked up to see Peesh at the window.

“I’m going to kill you, you little bitch!” he was very nearly screeching down at her. “And I’ll have your skull for a trophy!” He fired again and Jen fell back on her butt to avoid catching the bullet. She scrambled to her feet and took off running. She cursed everything she could think of that she was only able to grab the gun. It would no doubt come in handy, especially if she got the chance to kill Peesh, but the bag had had her medical supplies in it. Now her wounds would be open to infection and the thought filled her with dread. She bolted for the closest covered area she could reach. Gunfire followed her, but she found temporary shelter in a small building whose door she busted to get inside. She knew she wouldn’t be safe for long so she kept moving.

“Get to the jump ship, Jen! Just get to it!” she told herself as she moved quickly through the building. She passed room after room, glancing into each to see if there was any water she could snag. She stumbled across a half empty bottle and bent to scoop it up while not slowing her pace. At the opposite end of the building, there was another door. It opened to the fence surrounding the junkyard. The junkyard was massive and this part of the fence was on the opposite end of it, but she would accept weaving through junk if it meant she was that much closer to the ship.

It took her roughly an hour to finally navigate the mess and reach the ship. She spent as much time as she dared trying to hide the ship from view, though she had done a pretty good job earlier of covering it up. She crawled inside the ship, shut the door, and collapsed onto the floor, dropping her gun and the water bottle. Surprising even herself, she began to sob. Her body heaved with exhausted grief for a long time before she finally fell into unconsciousness, simply unable to stay awake any longer.


	8. Of Plans and Newcomers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen gets herself cleaned up a little and meets a new friend. Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew meets with Lowk and gets more frustrated and desperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been continually tweaking this story, but updates should be coming quicker from here on out.
> 
> Unbeta'd, but please enjoy! :D

Jen woke with a start. Her heart beat wildly inside her chest and she feared she’d been woken because the ship had been discovered. She held her breath and tried to slow her heart enough to hear. After she was sure that nothing real had woken her, she sagged against the wall. Her entire body screamed in pain. The ship had gotten very cold overnight and she shivered. She wished she had the blanket, but it sat back in the apartment she couldn’t return to. Tears welled up in her eyes again and threatened to fall down her face, but she furiously swiped at her eyes and went to work examining the glass still imbedded in her flesh.

She took off her shirts to examine the worst of it. Only a few pieces would need urgent medical attention when – if? – she got back to her ship. She made the decision to tear up one of her sleeveless tops to clean her wounds, thanking her lucky stars she’d elected to wear two. She lamented giving up the extra layer, but some of her new wounds would have to be bound and her shirt was the only thing she had left on hand. Tearing it into useable strips, she grabbed the water and set to work cleaning herself up as best she could.

Once all of her torso wounds were cleaned and the worst of them bound, she put her long sleeve shirt back on and tried to warm up even a little. She shivered as she gingerly removed her pants, hissing as she peeled them from her body. Some of the glass dislodged as the fabric fell away, hitting the ground and bouncing away. Jen groaned and shuddered in pain. Cleaning these wounds was easier because of their accessibility but also more difficult because of the sheer number of them and the fact that, when she rolled, she’d dug them deeper into her leg. She began prying them out and the immediately oozed blood.

Caring for her wounds took a very long time and she was in a lot of pain afterwards. Before she could stop herself, Jen began to cry again. She redressed herself and huddled into a corner of the shuttle, wrapping her arms around her legs and sobbed. Jen knew that she was wasting precious time crying, but there was nothing she could do to stop herself. She was just consumed by misery and pain and loneliness and all she wanted in the world was to get back to her ship and her family.

Finally able to steel her nerves, she got to her feet and tried to stretch her aching muscles without tearing her wounds open. Much of the left side of her shirt had already been soaked through again with blood.

“Ah, shit.” she sighed. The blood was already sticky and cold on her side, but she couldn’t afford to dawdle any more. She went to the console to see if she could make heads or tails of any of the symbols there. While things had still been stable, Jen hadn’t had time to speak with Uhura about the native language to learn any basic terms that might be useful. At this point, Jen couldn’t even remember if she’d heard Lowk speak to a computer at all during their meetings. Jen began to growl in rage as she tried to decipher the screen in front of her and the growl grew into a harsh yell and she raked her fingers through her hair. As she did this, her hair elastic snapped. Jen was a little surprised that it had even survived this long with all that it had been subjected to.

“I didn’t need you anyway!” she said to it bitterly, tossing it behind her.

The console in front of her offered no secrets and her brain offered no way to get it to reveal them. She sighed heavily and leaned hard against the back of her chair.

“I’m gonna have to get someone to do this…” she realized, letting no one in on her secret. “I have to let someone into my ship…” She groaned and slumped down into the seat. She’d resigned herself to needing a native to get the ship to cooperate; getting _that person_ to cooperate with her was another matter entirely and one that she wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to handle.

Once again, Jen’s stomach alerted her to just how long it had been since she last ate and let out a loud growl. “Oh, shut up!”

*********

“A very young spokesman for Peesh told us that she was dead, but we strongly suspect he was lying.” This reassurance did little to calm the Enterprise crew, who all stood by Sulu in the Captain’s chair, eager for news. Lowk pressed on, sensing their discomfort, “He is far too young to be able to lie well enough to fool me. Also, if she was truly dead, Peesh would have told me himself; he is far too proud to allow someone he undoubtedly considers a runt to deliver his most precious news of late. He also, uhm…” Lowk seemed reluctant to continue.

“Spit it out, man!” McCoy exclaimed before he could help himself. Spock gave him a scolding look, but Sulu looked grateful for the demand.

Lowk heaved a great sigh before saying in one long rush, “If she was truly dead, he would have presented me with a trophy; likely her head.”

The Enterprise crew was silent. Some fidgeted and Sulu shifted in the Chair. “I see.” he said. “Well, let’s hope he continues to have this ‘runt’ advocate for him.” Lowk nodded. “Do you know where he is? Do you have any idea of his plans?”

“We don’t know exactly what he is planning, but we know he is going after her. One of the men she killed in their bunker was his younger brother and he wants her dead very badly. The last location we knew he’d been was a recently abandoned mass residence building. It was evacuated two weeks ago because of a bomb threat. Little did we know that the actual threat was in the building we evacuated everyone _to_ … We lost so many people that day…” Lowk hung his head.

“I’m very sorry, Lowk.” He allowed a lull in conversation for Lowk to regain his composure. “We could help you if you’d just let us. The Federation has given permission for us to help you as we’d already planned. Their only stipulation is that the terrorist threat must be neutralized first.” Lowk’s head cocked in interest and he stared Sulu down, hoping the Earthling was telling him the truth. “Please, sir, let us help you. We could track them all down, help you neutralize the threat, and then contin –”

“Please, Mr. Sulu, I do appreciate your offers. I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful. But this is a personal war. Even if I thought you’d gotten permission to help us fight, I would be most reluctant to allow you to do so.” Sulu growled in frustration. “Sir, please, just let us do this! My highest level security officers have been repurposed into finding her and taking down the terrorist group. We _will_ return Jennifer Kirk to you and we _will_ best these monsters!”

The Bridge was stunned into silence by Lowk’s ire. Sulu cleared his throat and stood from the Chair to show his respect. “Please forgive me, sir, it was never my intention to question your authority. I do believe that you and your people are doing anything and everything you can to help us and we are immeasurably grateful. I also apologize for losing my temper. I’m sure you, more than anyone else, know how stressful this is for us. We just want her back and we want to help you and your people. Please forgive me.”

Spock raised an eyebrow at Sulu, seemingly impressed with how truly diplomatic he sounded. Uhura smiled quietly, knowing Kirk would be as pleased as she would be proud.

“Of course, Mr. Sulu. I do understand you are under a great deal of stress.” A moment passed between them and both of them understood that communication for the time being was over. Both men nodded and Lowk spoke first, saying, “We hope to be able to bring you good news soon, my friend.”

Sulu smiled, tired, and said, “I hope so, too. And if you change your mind about wanting our help, you need only ask.” Spock stepped forward as if to say something about the Prime Directive, but with the simple raise of his hand, Sulu was able to make him back off. “Good luck, Lowk. We wish you nothing but the best. My friend.”

The screen went dark and Sulu turned slowly to the senior staff. He felt the weight of the final words he’d spoken to Lowk and knew that there was no way they could let these people down now. They needed help and Sulu needed to give it to them. Starfleet had indeed given permission for them to continue with the plan for aid. The Tiam-Na as a whole were incredibly deserving. But Sulu was told that they had a week to sort out their terrorist problem. He hoped and prayed that they would be able to.

“Sir, if we may?” Uhura indicated herself and McCoy. Her body language indicated she wanted to speak in private.

Sulu waved them both into the ready room. “Spock, you have the Con.”

When they were all inside, Sulu dropped all formality and swore. Uhura pulled him into a hug. “You did amazing, Hikaru. This situation is awful and you’re doing awesome.”

Sulu sighed and hugged her back. She held him at arm’s length and they both regarded McCoy. “If you think I’m huggin’ anybody, you’ve got another thing comin’.” Uhura patted his arm nonetheless and they all sat down around the desk. “So, I know we said that we were going to let them fight their own fights, but are we really not going down to the surface? We’re not going to try and find her at all? For my money, that would make us dumber’n a bag o’ hammers.”

Sulu snickered. “You know very well that I can’t authorize that, Len.” He then fixed McCoy with a very pointed look. McCoy nodded his understanding that Sulu was unofficially giving him permission to go to the planet’s surface to look for Jen. The mission would have to be kept in the utmost secrecy; only those involved could know anything about it. Those necessary staff, Sulu had already decided, would just be McCoy and Uhura. “You two will report to me tomorrow at thirteen hundred and we will discuss further how this is _not_ going to go down. Dismissed.”

Uhura and McCoy both nodded and left the room to go and structure their plan. It would need to be precise and completely without holes if it was going to succeed. They would spend the next couple of hours planning step after step. The little rest they would get would be essential for their success. It was going to be a long, stressful day and they had to work fast.

*********

As Jen made her way to the edge of the junkyard, she wondered just who she would get to make the shuttle speak to her in English. She’d brought her gun, but hoped she didn’t have to use it. She would not have to wait long to encounter someone to persuade to help her.

“Stop right there!” She heard someone yell from her left. She left her weapon hanging by her side and put her hands in the air. She turned slowly to see a young Tiam-Na male standing atop a pile of metal crates. He looked to be no more than eighteen years old, by Earth standards. “You touch your gun and I’ll kill you, do you understand?”

“I do.” She kept her hands in the air and stepped toward him. He jerked his gun, nearly dropping it.

“Stay right there! I mean it!” He was scared to death. Jen hoped this would work to her advantage.

“Okay. I’m staying here.” She stopped moving, but still stood her ground. “What’s your name, kid?”

“I’m not a kid!” he spat angrily at her, raising his weapon to aim at her more accurately. Jen raised her hands further in apology. The boy hesitated visibly before lowering his gun slightly and saying, “My name is Kendok. Kendok Sheefar. You’re Jen Kirk, aren’t you?”

Jen laughed lightly. “Am I famous or something, Kendok?”

“Only because Peesh wants you dead so badly. Apparently you killed his brother.”

“Shit, did I?” Jen put her hands on her hips and kicked at the dirt. “I suppose I should feel bad about it.”

The boy lowered his gun and snorted. “Not really. I hate them both.”

That was her in.

“So why are you working with them?” Jen felt comfortable enough to take a few more steps forward. The boy didn’t object this time. He actually seemed to deflate.

“They have my sister. My little sister. Drahlana. They said if I don’t fight with them, they’ll kill her.” He climbed down from the crate and approached her. He was still wary of her, but Jen knew that she had deflected what could have been a truly bad situation.

“Do you know where they’re keeping her? Maybe I could help you get her back?”

The boy barked a bitter laugh and shook his head. “I don’t know how you could help. The only way I can protect her is to help them and even then they may kill her anyway.” The two were now standing face to face, close enough to touch.

Jen had very little time to make a plan, but she had already made a decision. “Take me prisoner. Take me back to Peesh. I’ll save your sister and get you both out of this mess.”

Kendok furrowed his brow in consideration. “And what will you do with Peesh?”

Jen stood up tall, squaring her shoulders and, nodding, she said, “I’m going to kill him.” Kendok’s eyes lit up and he smiled wickedly. “But there’s something I need you to do for me first.”


	9. Return to the Frying Pan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen and her new friend, Kendok, execute their plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill ;P
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It turns out, the promise of Peesh’s death was the only real convincing that Kendok needed. They went back to the ship so that Kendok could make it speak to Jen in English. Once he did that, Jen actually hugged him. He was surprised that she had done it, but he didn’t regard her as dangerous. She sat in the chair and turned to the console. There were a few things that Jen needed to figure out before they set their plan into motion.

“Computer, what is the ship powered by?”

The computer chirruped before responding. Jen was struck in her chest by a longing for her own ship’s computer. “The shuttle is powered by plasma fuel cells.”

“Great. Does the shuttle have enough of the fuel cells to leave the planet’s atmosphere?”

“Negative.”

Jen clenched her eyes shut in frustration, cursing. “Computer, how many more cells are needed to enable the shuttle to leave the atmosphere?”

“Two additional full fuel cells are needed.”

“Last one; Computer, where are the fuel cells located in the shuttle?”

In lieu of a verbal response, the ship’s computer opened a hatch on the wall behind Jen and automatically rolled out a column of fuel cells. One of them was completely dark, while the others glowed dimly. Jen thought that she had better see if she could get her hands on three or four fuel cells just in case. If any of the rest should fail, she would be dead in the water.

“Peesh keeps fuel cells just like these in the hangar you escaped from. If we can get you back there, we could retrieve the cells you need and get them back to this –”

“No.”

“No?”

“You’re not coming back here with me. You can get me to the hangar and you can help me find the cells, but like we discussed, I’m going to help you find your sister and then I’ll create enough of a distraction for you both to get to the embassy. I’ll not risk you both just to get me off this planet.” The boy began to protest. “No! Promise me, once we get your sister, you’ll steal a vehicle and go straight to the embassy. Promise me!”

The boy regarded her oddly for a moment. He clearly wanted to help her further, but he also had his sister to think about. He nodded and said, “I promise.”

Jen clapped him on the shoulder. “Then let’s get going.” Jen left everything important on the shuttle except for her clothing; her weapons would stay because they would likely be stripped from her anyway and she may need them later. Just as they were getting ready to leave, Jen turned back to the console.

“One last question, Computer?” the computer chirruped and waited. “What are you called?”

“This shuttle is designated Fyodor-Sho.”

Jen smiled and stroked her hand along the paneling. “Thank you, Fyodor-Sho. I’ll be back for you.” With that, the officer and the unlikely terrorist left.

*********

When they got to the hangar where Peesh’s forces were, Jen already looked a little worse for the wear. She had requested that Kendok rough her up a little so that it would be convincing that he had apprehended her instead of them having come to a mutual arrangement. Her shirt was awash in fresh blood from a shallow cut on her shoulder. A new bruise bloomed on her face next to her eye and up onto her forehead. She had a limp in her step that was actually an accident as Jen had stumbled into a small hole in the ground and rolled her ankle. She had already been blind-folded at the time and hadn’t been able to avoid it. Kendok apologized profusely, but Jen said it was fine and would add to the realism. What she didn’t tell him was how afraid she was that it would hinder her escape later on.

“We’re almost there.” Kendok said in her ear. He was speaking low just in case anyone was close enough to be listening. Jen had also talked him into tying her hands together behind her back. He had attempted to argue for tying her hands in front of her, but she reasoned that they would never believe he’d captured her unless her hands were unusable. She also assured him she would be able to escape the bonds. Only then did he agree.

He guided her up to the hangar and banged on the door. When someone answered, they both spoke in the alien tongue. The men had a lengthy conversation while Jen stood there shivering and thinking of various plans she might use to get Kendok’s sister out safely. Without warning, the man who’d opened the door yanked Jen inside by her arm, bruising her already tender flesh all the way around her arm. She stumbled slightly, but managed to keep her feet beneath her. Jen heard the man call for Peesh and then she was thrown to the ground. Her knees collided painfully and she fell to her side, grunting.

“My dear, sweet Captain Kirk. I’m so glad to see that you are unharmed.” Jen rolled her eyes under her blindfold. “I’ve been worried about you. You ran off and I didn’t know what to do! But luckily, my friend Kendok was able to locate you. Thank you, Kendok.”

“What will you do with her?” Kendok asked in English for Jen’s benefit.

“That doesn’t concern you. What _should_ concern you is that you are one day closer to having your sister back.” Peesh walked over to Kendok and stood before him, no doubt exerting his status and power. “Count your blessings, Kendok. She will soon be free.” Peesh clapped him on the shoulder before turning back to Jen. He gripped her by her unkempt hair and pulled her to a sitting position. She grit her teeth but did not cry out.

“Take her to the cells with the others. And make sure she can’t escape this time. We wouldn’t want to have to chase her again,” he pulled her hair tighter and forced her head back. “Would we?” Jen spat in his face as best she could. He backhanded her and swiped at his face. “You will not get the chance to do that again, bitch. Take her away!”

Jen felt herself being hoisted up onto someone’s broad shoulders and carried out of the room. The man was not gentle with her, but she figured she had no one to blame but herself; she’d killed a couple of his comrades. He made no effort to keep her from hitting her head and he wove in between crates and desks and other hard objects. Jen’s eyes swam in her head.

“Sorry, babe.” He didn’t sound it. Jen snorted bitterly, but said nothing. He walked a little farther, turning a couple of times. A clicking of metal came from in front of the man and then a screeching sounded as a cell was opened. “Welcome home!” the man said before smacking her on the butt. Jen kicked her foot up in hopes of connecting with his face, but he reacted too quickly and dumped her roughly on the floor. Her hands crunched painfully under her body as she skidded across the floor. The door clanged closed and footsteps retreated. Jen was left with the quiet cell.

“So, you’re the one they’re all talking about?” The voice, a male’s, was coming from somewhere to her right. Jen maneuvered to sit up, listening carefully to everything around her. “What’s your name again, sweetheart?”

“You don’t have to talk to her like that. She’s a prisoner just like you and me.” This voice was female.

“Drahlana?”

The girl gasped. “How do you know my name?”

Before answering, Jen flattened her hands on the floor and scooted them under her butt. She shimmied until her hands were under her knees. She was easily able to get her legs through the opening between her bound arms. The bonds had tightened and creating rope burns on her skin, but she didn’t care. She whipped off her blindfold and looked at the girl. She looked just like Kendok except her eye markings were grander; it was a sharp yet flowing pattern. The girl was truly gorgeous.

“I found your brother. He brought me here and we’re going to get you out.” The girl smiled, tears in her eyes.

“Like hell you are! No one gets out of here unless Peesh commands it. And he doesn’t usually command it.” Jen regarded him sarcastically. She knew she’d be able to get out, even if it took her a while.

“Is he okay? Is he alive?”

Jen shuffled to the bars separating them. “Yes, he’s fine. For now. I hope they treat him well for bringing me back, but I can’t be sure…” Jen fixed Drahlana with a sympathetic look. “I have some questions, though. It’s alright if you don’t know the answers.” The girl nodded. “Peesh threatened to ‘rain down holy hellfire,’ if I remember correctly, on the embassy if they didn’t cooperate. What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly, but they seemed to be more concerned with the fact that you escaped than the promise they made. They’ve been concentrating efforts to hunt you down. I don’t know what contact they’ve had with the embassy.”

“I do.” The man spoke up. Jen turned to look at him.

“What happened?”

“What’s your name?”

Jen growled in frustration. “Jennifer Kirk! Why is that important?”

“Pleased to meet you Jennifer Kirk. I’m Staffenek Tuvol.” Jen nodded her greeting and willed him to continue. “I work in the embassy. I wasn’t a part of the council that met with you because that’s a level above me. I organize the goings on within the building, meetings and such, so I’m a part of staff gatherings, but not chosen to attend your event. I scheduled it, but couldn’t be there.”

“You organized everything? Well done, if I might say.”

“Thank you!” He smiled at her. His smiled faded, though, as he continued. “Peesh and some of his flunkies didn’t deliver the hellfire they’d promised, but they did storm the embassy two days ago and took me to hold until Lowk cooperates.”

“Did they kill anyone? Or did they only manage to kidnap you?”

“They killed no one, this time. But they promised to kill me in a week…”

“Listen to me; I will not let that happen. We’re all getting out of here.” Jen looked from Staffenek back to Drahlana, eyes and body language full of righteous intent. “I will get us all out of here.”

Before they could rally in any kind of solidarity, the door swung open again. Peesh stepped inside, boots heavy and hateful.

“Well, well. You’ve proven yourself to be most clever, Kirk. Kendok will be punished for his incompetence at proper bindings.” He glanced pointedly at Drahlana then back to Jen. “Shall we see if you’re clever enough to endure _your_ punishment, Captain?”


	10. Different Kinds of Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen's punishment is delivered and it's just as horrible, if not a little more so, than she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a little dark (not that the rest of it has been sunshine and kittens >.>), so consider this a fair warning. Part of the torture inspiration came from an off-hand comment in the film called "A Life Less Ordinary." If you get the chance to see the film, it's actually pretty entertaining.
> 
> Something I noticed on reading back through some of the chapters is that I sometimes mixed up some of the letters in Staffenek's name. If you notice it from here on out, either ignore it or tell me so I can fix it :3 Thanks!
> 
> Anyway, un-beta'd. Hope you enjoy!

Staffenek yelled at Peesh to leave Jen alone, but he staunchly ignored him. He grabbed her hands by their bonds and wrenched her hands above her head. Then she was being dragged from the room and down the hall. Peesh cared little that she would be able to see the path he took; his rage won out over sense, it seemed. When he reached his destination, he dragged her in and threw her across the floor. She slid painfully and her already sore and bruised body protested. Again, she said nothing. He closed the door and turned to look at Jen on the floor, hands clasped behind his back.

“You’ve made a serious mess, haven’t you, pet?” He was slowly stalking across the room, looking down at her. “Did you know that you killed my brother?”

“Was that who that was? I had no idea. I’m sorry. I bet he was a stand-up guy.”

Jen’s sass again landed her in trouble with the terrorist. He was standing behind her and she couldn’t see that he raised his leg to kick her hard. She lurched forward, breath knocked from her body. For a moment, she lay on the floor with wide eyes, unable to do anything. She then began to cough and splutter.

“Your punishment, pet, will be flogging. My people only use that method on war criminals, so you’ll know just special you are!” He pulled her to her feet and shoved her backwards. A man she hadn’t realized was standing there caught her and released her hands. Before she could react, her shirts were stripped from her body and thrown to the floor. Her bra was cut and discarded as well. Her wrists were individually bound this time and her arms drawn out to either side. The ropes were secured and she heard movement from behind her. Peesh stepped into her field of vision, brandishing the flogger. He reached up to her face and she flinched away from him. He reached behind her neck to grip it and bring her head forward.

“Calm yourself, Captain. I’m just going to remove your breathing mask. We wouldn’t want it damaged, would we?”

Jen schooled her features as best she could in hopes of concealing her genuine fear. The cruel smile the crept onto Peesh’s face told her she didn’t conceal it well enough. Having difficulty breathing without her mask was one thing; having difficulty breathing while being flogged was an entirely different scenario. Peesh moved behind her again and Jen readied herself for the first blow.

It came, though not quite as hard as she had expected. But since it was the first of what would no doubt be many, she braced herself for the pain to increase. After ten blows, her eyes began to water significantly and her teeth hurt from clenching them so hard. After five more, the tears spilled from her eyes and streamed freely down her face. Tiny whimpers left her throat against her will. Peesh dealt her a total of thirty blows before he stopped. His breathing was quick and ragged and then he began to laugh. Jen could feel the blood oozing down her back and soaking into her trousers. Her arms were released and her sleeveless shirt was thrown at her. She gingerly put it on and folded into herself. She was unwilling to cry out in front of him, but there was nothing she could do to stop the flow of tears.

As Peesh stepped in front of her, he looked down at her face. “Oh, sweet Captain. There’s no need to cry. You’ve taken this very well! You should be proud of yourself! Here, have your breathing mask back. I imagine you’re in great need of it and I wouldn’t want you to suffer needlessly.”

She took the mask from him, looking him defiantly in the face. Affixing it to her face, she rose and placed her hands behind her back because she knew they would bind them again.

“Good girl, Jen!” Jen snarled, unseen. “Take her back to her cell. Then clean this up.” Peesh strode from the room before his fellow terrorist walked her back to the cells.

He was much less rough while handling her. She could never be sure if he was being kind or if he just didn’t care enough to injure her further. He locked her inside and she sunk down to the floor on her knees. The back of her shirt was soaked in blood and clung to her body. It was saturated and continued to drip and soak her trousers and form small pools on the floor.

“Are you alright?” Drahlana whispered, already knowing the answer.

“No.” Jen said shakily. “No, I’m not.”

The door swung open again. “I forgot something, pet!” Jen wasn’t stupid enough to think that he meant her long-sleeved shirt, but he did something she couldn’t have anticipated. He opened her cell door, charged over behind her, and sliced down her arm. She couldn’t help screaming as much in surprise as in pain. Something cold pressed against her skin. When he was done, he loosely wrapped a cloth around her arm. He moved in front of her and capped a jar that now contained a substantial amount of her blood. Without another word, he walked out of the cell, locked it, and left the room.

“He took my blood?!” Jen shrieked. “What the fuck for?”

“Come here!” Staffenek yelled at her. He was beginning to stuff a blanket between the bars. Jen turned around and tugged the blanket through. She folded it up as best she could and lay down on it, pressing her body weight down onto her fresh wound. She stunted the blood flow from her arm but at the same time caused great pain to the marks on her back.

Jen began to cry in earnest. Her body convulsed as she sobbed but also because she was extremely cold. Her fellow captives remained quiet, whether out of respect or uncertainty of what to do, she didn’t know; but she was grateful for their silence. When she was reasonably sure her blood had clotted, she asked Staffenek to secure the crude wrapping around her arm a little better. He gladly did so. She then clumsily wrapped herself in the blanket and tried to get some rest. It was an uneasy night for all three of the people in the cells, but they managed to get a little sleep.

*********

“Bridge to Captain Sulu?” a voice interrupted Sulu’s sleep. He bolted upright and rubbed his face, trying to get his bearings.

“Go ahead?” He coughed slightly, still trying to shake off his drowsiness.

“Sir, we’ve just received a hail from the surface. They say it’s urgent and they would like to speak with you privately.”

“Patch it through to my quarters, Ensign. Thank you.” He rose and straightened himself as best he could. He donned a fresh shirt just in time to receive the hail. “On screen.” Lowk appeared before him looking incredibly haggard.

“Mr. Sulu. Are you well?”

“As well as can be expected. What can I do for you, Lowk?”

The man sighed heavily. “I need to request the presence of a medical officer. Which one is entirely up to you.”

“Are you alright, Lowk?”

“I’m fine. My staff is fine. I just have an odd request of your officer.” He paused, seeming reluctant to continue. Sulu nodded in hopes he would spit it out. “I need your medical officer to bring a sample of Captain Kirk’s DNA.”

Sulu’s heart stopped. “What’s happened?” he whispered.

Lowk held up a jar full of red liquid. “We’ve received a jar of what appears to be human blood. We’re told it is that of Captain Kirk, but we want to be absolutely sure before we act on their demand.”

“They’ve already captured one of your staff, what more could they possibly be demanding!?”

“Peesh is threatening a hostile takeover ending with my death unless I step down and give them their representation.” Lowk sighed again. “He’s promising a jar of this size every single day until I comply.”

“I’ll send Dr. McCoy to the surface immediately.”

“Keep in mind, we’re still working on wiping them out. I don’t intend on giving in. But you’ll understand my need to be certain.”

“Of course. Expect him within the hour.”

“Thank you.” The screen went dark.

Sulu immediately jumped into action. He left his quarters and bolted down to medical. On his way, he paged McCoy. “Sulu to McCoy.” There were a few moments of silence before the man responded. “Len, meet me in Medical. Now. We have a problem.” McCoy agreed and no doubt left his room immediately.

As Sulu continued to hurry to Sickbay, he contacted Uhura.

“What’s wrong, Hikaru?”

“Trip’s cancelled. For now. We have a problem, but we’ll discuss it when Leonard gets back.”

“Gets back? Where’s he going?”

“To meet with Lowk and his doctor… I’ll explain later. Sulu out.”

The two men managed to get to the Med Bay at the exact same moment. Sulu entered before explaining why he’d woken McCoy.

“Dammit, man, what is it?”

Sulu was at the computer, bringing up Jen’s records. He loaded her information onto a small PADD before turning and handing it to the doctor. “Lowk got a vial of human blood. They say it’s Jen’s. You need to corroborate. Report to me as soon as you know. Take a shuttle. Go.”

Without a word, he opened a drawer and removed a DNA analysis device, then he took the PADD from Sulu and went to the shuttle bay. He was on the planet’s surface and inside the embassy within forty minutes. He strode quickly into the building, equipment in hand.

“Dr. McCoy!” He was greeted by Lowk and Halma. “Thank you for getting here so swiftly.” Halma held out the jar for McCoy to see.

“When did you receive this?” McCoy asked as he uncapped the jar and took the sample.

“Just a few hours ago.” Lowk responded. They stayed quiet as McCoy ran the analysis. The machine beeped when the process was complete.

“It’s hers…” McCoy’s head swam. He wasn’t entirely sure how to react. His heart sunk and his very soul seemed to be in pain.

“I’m so very sorry, Doctor.” Lowk put his hand on McCoy’s shoulder. McCoy frowned and nodded his thanks.

“How much of her blood is that?” Halma asked. McCoy silently remarked that only another doctor would think to ask that kind of question.

“It’s about a pint. She can’t afford to lose this much every day for very long.”

The gravity of the situation showed on both of their faces as they looked at one another. Lowk turned back to McCoy. “Our people are working as fast as they can.

“We appreciate that, Lowk. Really we do.” McCoy sighed and scrubbed at his forehead. “I just hope it’s fast enough…”


	11. The Video

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen's continued captivity [and sass] coupled with Peesh's growing rage breed creativity the likes of which the Enterprise crew has never seen and doesn't want Bones to ever see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill in regards to beta readers ;P This chapter is kinda brutal, but mostly in an emotional sense. Hope you enjoy!

The second day of Jen’s captivity proved to be much the same as the first. Peesh came into the cell area, removed Jen, and took her to the same room as the day before. Jen was stripped to her trousers and delivered thirty lashes with the flogger. Before taking her back to her cell, Peesh took the same amount of blood in a jar and mocked her relentlessly. He shoved her back in the cell and left to deliver her blood.

Jen carefully pressed her sliced arm into the blanket and tried not to shiver too badly.

“Still think we’re getting out of here, Captain?” Staffenek asked, bitter but not at Jen.

Without looking at him, she said, “No.” He sagged into the bars of his own cell. She then turned her head and looked him directly in the eye. “I know it.”

Just as she spoke, the door opened again. It was much slower this time. Kendok peeked his head in and Drahlana leapt to her feet.

“Kendok!” she whispered, excitedly. “What are you doing here? You’re putting yourself in danger!” Tears began to stream down her face as she reached for him through the bars. He gripped her back reassuringly.

“I had to see if you were alright.” Kendok was crying as well, but his smile was barely contained on his face.

“I am. I’m alright. Aside from being hungry.” Kendok nodded, unable to see anything but her. “But, Jen is…” She looked back at Jen on the floor.

Kendok swore in his native tongue. “What in the hell have they done to you?”

Jen shrugged. “We’ve been having a party.”

The unwilling terrorist fixed her with an admonishing look. “Is now really the time for jokes, Captain?”

Jen smiled wryly. “‘Now’ is always the best time for jokes.”

“Do you still have a plan to get out of here?”

“Not so much. But one will come to me.”

Kendok knit his eyebrows together, skeptical. But he nodded. He then said that he had to get back before they began to suspect him. Jen assured him that when her plan presented itself, she would give him a signal so that he would know to come running. They were then left alone to while away the hours until someone else came for them.

*********

McCoy and Sulu stood in the Ready Room, getting another update from Lowk.

“We’ve received another jar of blood and have matched it with the information you left with us; it’s hers.” A pregnant silence fell over the room. “Our forces have closed in on them, but haven’t been able to do anything without sustaining heavy fire and injuries. Sirs, we may need your help in the coming days.”

“Our crew is ready and willing to help, Lowk, I promise you that. And Dr. McCoy is more than willing to help treat your wounded. Just say the word and we will bring the force of the Federation with us.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu. I’ll contact you again when I have more information or to ‘say the word.’”

“Be well, Lowk.” The two men left staring at a blank screen sank heavily into chairs. McCoy rubbed at his strained forehead with his fingers and Sulu tipped his head back, sighing loudly.

“We have to go down there and help, Sulu.”

“We can’t, Len. You know –”

“Dammit, man, they’re killing her! You’re just gonna let that happen?!” McCoy slammed his hands on the desk as got up.

Sulu, very calmly and surprisingly authoritatively, leaned forward and looked McCoy in the eye. “No. I’m not going to let them kill her. But I’m going to let them _think_ we’re not coming to the aid of the embassy because that’s what Starfleet mandates.” McCoy growled, exasperated. “Two more days, Len. We’ll give them two more days.”

“Two days and then what?”

“And then, come hell or high water, we go get her and bring her home.”

*********

Those two days that Sulu planned to wait passed by in agonizing slowness for everyone involved. Though none suffered quite as much as Jennifer Kirk.

The third flogging brought a new element; Peesh recorded the whole thing on video. Jen didn’t know what he planned to do with the video, but she was also too delirious to be able to pay much attention to what was going on. As soon as the beating stops, though, she’s back to full awareness. If she cared to, she could probably thank her experience on Tarsus IV for giving her the ability to go seamlessly back and forth between a needed shut down state and immediate attention.

“Deliver that to the embassy with the vial. Maybe they will be spurred into action this time.” Peesh told a nameless grunt, handing him a disc with the recording on it.

“And if they’re not?”

The terrorist considered for a moment, watching Jen as she pulled on her blood-saturated sleeveless shirt. “I’m an artist.” he finally said. “I’ll think of something inspirational.”

The man left and Jen was returned to her cell. The embassy received the recording and Lowk immediately contacted the Enterprise. Sulu had been meeting with Uhura for a routine report when the embassy hailed them.

“Do you mind if I stay?” she asked.

“Not at all. In fact, I could probably use the company.” Sulu answered the hail. “Lowk, how are you?”

“I’m well enough, considering. But we’ve just received something I think you’ll want to see…” Lowk seemed very distraught.

“What is it?”

“Peesh sent us a video recording. It’s Captain Kirk.”

Sulu’s blood froze in his veins. “Play it.”

Lowk disappeared from the screen and they were met with the sight of Jen Kirk’s naked, bloody back being whipped repeatedly. Her body jerked with each blow and they could hear soft whimpering coming from her.

“Oh my god!” Uhura whispered and sat heavily in the chair across from Sulu. They both had hands over their mouths in shock.

The male Tiam-Na in the video heard the words before the Starfleet officers did. There was a pause in the beatings and one of the men asked a question in his native language. Uhura drew her eyebrows together in concentration and was about to translate when Lowk spoke up, unseen because the video was still playing.

“He asked, ‘What is she saying?’”

The video recorder moved closer to Jen’s suspended body and around to the front. Her eyes were closed and trails of tears were evident on her dirty face. A steady chant left her lips and was only a little louder now that they were right in front of her.

“Bones…” she said. “Bones… Bones… Bones…” It sounded like a prayer coming directly from her soul.

Uhura and Sulu looked at each other, eyes wide in horror. A voice in an alien language again reached their ears. Uhura understood, but allowed Lowk again to translate for Sulu.

“They are wondering what it means… Do you know?”

Sulu sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “We do.” He glanced at Uhura who was wiping tears from her eyes. “It’s a nickname she has for our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. McCoy.”

Lowk looked stricken. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Sulu, Ms. Uhura. I do have some good news, though.” The officers perked up slightly. “We know exactly where she is being held and our forces will be moving in soon to get her out.”

“Thank you, sir, that is _great_ news!” Sulu wasn’t sure he would throw his own rescue plan out the window in favor of Lowk’s. He would have to discuss it with McCoy and plan what to do. He didn’t imagine the doctor would want to wait very much longer. “Keep us posted on any news you have. And stay safe.”

“You as well.” The screen went dark.

Heavy silences seemed to be a constant companion on the ship these days. Uhura sniffled and placed her hand on Sulu’s in the middle of the desk. He looked up at her.

“He can _never_ see that recording.”

“Agreed.”

“So, what do we do now?” She squeezed Sulu’s hand in hers and he turned to face her.

“I think…” They stared at each other before Sulu steeled himself. “I have to talk to Leonard. We need to work out quickly how we’re going to get her back.”

Uhura nodded resolutely and left to find the doctor.


	12. About Damn Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen and her fellow captives finally have the chance to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, folks! Sorry about the delay in posting this time. We've had a crazy week here at home and this was the first chance I've had to do this. Also, I've been a little under the weather, so there's another cause for delay. Anyway, I hope you like it!
> 
> This is actually one of my favorite chapters. I had a blast writing it because it's so full of action! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

“Up you get, Captain! It’s your favorite time of day!”

Jen was harshly jostled out of an already uneasy slumber by large hands grabbing her arms and tugging her to her feet. She could already feel bruises forming over other bruises on her tender flesh. She grunted and struggled to focus her eyes. The blood loss was finally getting to her and she found everything to be more difficult. As she was guided down to her flogging room, her head cleared slightly. She found herself praying intently for an opportunity to present itself for her to get out of here.

Her shirt and breathing mask were ripped from her body as unceremoniously as ever and she was strung up to be flogged. Jen automatically shut down in preparation for the savage beating she was about to receive. When it was over, she hardly recalled what had happened at all. What she heard next she might regard as a miracle in later retellings of this event.

“Take her back to the cell with the others. I have something to take care of.” Peesh ordered his nameless flunky. He tossed the man the keys and left the room with the jar of Jen’s blood and another recording. Jen slowly redressed herself and waited for Peesh to be long gone before she moved to replace her breathing mask. The man, to his credit, stood and waited patiently for her to right herself before he reached for her.

Jen grabbed his hand and brought it in front of her then she twisted her whole body as hard as she could. She felt his arm break and he was flung to the ground in front of her. As he fell, he grabbed at her mask. It tore painfully from her head and he smashed it on the ground as he landed. She dropped her knees to his chest and gripped his chin and the top of his head, threatening to break his neck.

Jen drew in a difficult breath. “I don’t particularly want to kill you, but I will if you make me. Just give me the keys and you can walk away from this.” This man was clearly more loyal to Peesh than Kendok could ever hope to be and he began to fight her back. He began to bring his feet up to hook around her body to pull her off, but she snapped his neck without another thought and he went limp beneath her. Once she was certain he was dead, she reached over and pried the keys from his grip. She stood and wobbled slightly, woozy from blood loss and battery. Peesh had taken the flogger with him, but what appeared to be a crowbar sat in the corner of the room. She picked it up and looked around the room for anything else she might need. The long-sleeve shirt still lay in the corner where it was thrown days before. Before leaving the room, she tore the shirt apart and wrapped the strips around her arm to slow any further blood loss.

The walk back to the cells was tense as she listened for any clue to Peesh’s possible return. She heard none and finally got to the room she’d spent the past couple nights in. She staggered in through the door and Drahlana leapt to her feet. Staffenek also fled to the bars.

“Are you alright?” Staffenek reached for her as she fell against his bars.

“Not even close, but that doesn’t matter. I’m getting us out of here.” She set the crowbar down and began to try keys in the lock on his door. It only took her two attempts to find the correct key. Once she freed Staffenek, she limped over to Drahlana’s cell. The other cell took a few more attempts to find the correct key, but she was able to find it eventually. Staffenek kept offering to help, but Jen insisted that she could do it. He handed her the crowbar and asked what they were going to do now.

“You promised a signal for Kendok. We need his help if we’re going to get out.”

“I know. I’m going to bang on the bars and hopefully only draw your brother, but I want you both to stand back, just in case someone else comes.”

“At least let me –”

“No!” They both recoiled at her forcefulness. “Dammit, if anyone is going to be injured, it’s going to be me and there’s nothing you can do about it. These people are after _me_ and there is no one else I am going to put in their scope.” They reluctantly agreed and stood on the opposite side of the door as Jen beat two SOS messages in old Morse code on the cell bars. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she held the crowbar aloft, ready to strike anyone who was not Kendok. They waited a few moments before the faint sound of footsteps sounded in the hall. Jen was ready to strike as soon as the person came into the room, but a soft call of her name made Jen lower the crowbar.

“Kendok? Is that you?” He peeked his head into the room and looked around. Drahlana ran to him and hugged him tight. Interrupting the moment, Jen asked, “Are you alone?” He broke away from his sister to nod.

He finally looked at her and saw just how bad a shape she was in. He rushed to her and ran his hands over her face. He swore, “What have they done to you? Where is your mask?”

Jen shook him off, irritated. “It doesn’t matter. We have to go.” She held up her hand as he tried to argue again. “Get us to the hangar, help me get the fuel cells, then hop a transport and get the hell out of here. That’s what I need you to do. Do you understand me?” He nodded.

Kendok had no difficulty leading them back to the hangar. Peesh was not in it and nor were any of his usual flunkies.

“Should I be worried that no one is in here?” Jen whispered.

“I don’t know…” Kendok looked around nervously. “There were people here when I left, but Peesh was also talking about having a meeting.”

“Alright, let’s move quickly, then.”

They located the fuel cells and two separate transports; one like a motorcycle, the other like a car. They loaded the fuel cells onto the motorcycle, but before they could get anyone ready to go, the door opened and in walked a member of Peesh’s terror squad. He stood there, dumfounded for a moment before raising his gun. He fired a couple shots, but everyone was able to dive out of the way first. Jen took the crowbar and made her way around the outside of the room towards the man. He was yelling at them in his native language and firing. Jen found a way around behind him and hit him in the back of the knees. He crumbled to the ground and his gun skidded across the floor. Jen raised the crowbar and brought it down on the man’s head, killing him instantly. She picked up the gun and ran back to the vehicles.

“Take this,” she handed over the gun to Staffenek, “and head northeast. The embassy is only a couple of miles from here and you should be able to reach it in a matter of minutes. Don’t stop for anything; just get there and tell them you were with me.”

“What are you going to do?” Drahlana asked, worried.

“I found a jump ship in a junkyard a little ways away. I fixed it and these fuel cells your brother helped me get are going to get me back to my ship. I’ll be fine, just get to the e –”

Jen was cut off by someone swinging down by a chain and landing both feet on her back. The wind was knocked from her and she tumbled to the ground. The man who came from the ceiling rolled to the ground as well. Staffenek shot the man dead as he was getting up to attack the rest of them. Jen coughed roughly and a spattering of blood covered the floor in front of her. Breathing had been hard enough and she saw spots before her eyes as she fought to get the thick air back into her lungs. She wiped at her mouth and accepted the hand helping her upright.

From somewhere close inside the building, they heard angry bellowing. Peesh must know what was going on by now and he must be seeing red.

“Go now!” Jen said hoarsely. “He’ll follow me. Get to the embassy and tell them what happened and where I’m going. You’ll be fine.” Her Tiam-Na friends got in their vehicle and Jen mounted her motorcycle. The vehicles were started and Jen pulled up alongside them to speak through the window. “Remember, don’t stop; just get there. Be careful.”

“You be careful, too.” Kendok said, gripping her arm. She nodded, still breathing hard. The door flew open behind them and Peesh began yelling like a caged animal. He was full of deranged anger and he looked psychotic. Jen turned back to the vehicle and yelled, “GO!”

They got outside and turned in separate directions. Jen managed to look back and see Peesh sprinting across the room. He was closing the distance fast, but Jen was able to round a couple corners and lose him from line of sight. She pulled up to the junkyard gate and dismounted quickly to open it. Wrenching the gate open tired her greatly and she found herself hobbling back to the motorcycle. This last bout of action was already pure hell and she knew it wasn’t even over yet.

She drove the motorcycle next to the jump ship and shut it off. She dragged two of the fuel cells inside and ordered the ship to open the fuel hatch. The compartment of fuel cells slid open and she took out two of the dead ones, replacing them as quickly as she could. She took the dead cells back outside to dispose of them and was met with the butt of an alien rifle to the side of her face. Tumbling to the ground and dropping the fuel cells, she swore and her head spun. She feebly attempted to gain her bearings again but before she could, Peesh began pummeling her ribs. Each blow brought sob after grunt from her throat. Tears sprung into her eyes and began to fall easily.

Peesh stopped his assault and Jen coughed, spraying bright red blood over both of them. He was breathing heavy from the exertion but also from being so full of rage. His eyes were wild as he regarded her on the ground beneath him. This lapse in his beating allowed her to see that he had a blade attached to his belt. Acting on pure instinct, she reached up and unsheathed it. Peesh reacted too little too late and Jen plunged the knife into his ribs and she dragged it up, slicing his heart open. His purple blood spilled out of him and covered her. It was cool and made Jen shiver.

The terrorist snarled at her, but his life was fading fast. His last act of rebellion was to tear the knife from his own flesh and hold it so that it plunged into the side of Jen’s abdomen. She gasped in pain and then shrieked in utter disbelief.

“Oh, you’ve GOT to be fucking KIDDING ME!” The man on top of her sagged as the last of his life bled from him. Jen struggled to roll him off of her. The strained movements made the knife in her side that much more painful. “Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” She finally wriggled out from underneath him and rolled to her side, gingerly lifting her shirt from the neck to look down at the wound. She swore some more and then decided that she would be back on her ship soon enough and would have Medical deal with it when she got there. It would likely even be safer than trying to take the blade out herself.

She got to her feet as carefully as she could and retrieved the final fuel cell from the motorcycle. Heaving it into the ship was a difficult task, but she managed it. When she replaced it, she tossed the near-dead cell out of the door and onto Peesh’s dead body. She flipped him off and shut the door to the shuttle.

“Computer?” The now familiar chirrup sounded and she smiled despite how much pain she was in. “Start ‘er up.”

The engines fired up and Jen sat painfully down in the pilot chair. The display before her came to life and showed power levels. She tinkered with the controls until she felt the ship lift off the ground. Feeling a little giddy, she set a course for getting out of the atmosphere. She found herself in space and almost sobbed at the familiarity of it. The blackness of space and the glittering of stars in the distance felt more like Home than Iowa ever had.

“Computer, search nearby space for a Constitution-class, Federation starship.” The computer brought up the location of the Enterprise on the screen in front of her. Jen burst the engines to bring her closer to it.

*********

“Bridge to Captain Sulu!” The voice from the bridge sounded incredibly urgent.

Sulu and McCoy had been in the shuttle bay, preparing to go down to the surface. They looked at one another and Sulu responded. “Go ahead?”

“Sir, there’s a shuttle from the surface coming towards the ship.”

The two men ripped the breathing masks from their faces and began running to the bridge. “Shields up! Red alert! I’m on my way!”

They made it to the bridge in record time, sprinting the whole way.

“Captain on the bridge!”

Sulu strode to the center of the room. “Report; do we know who’s on the shuttle?”

“Sensors read one life form aboard. Unable to identify.”

“Hail them.” A channel was opened and Sulu put on his best Captain’s voice. “Tiam-Na shuttle; this is Captain Sulu of the USS Enterprise. You will halt your approach and state your purpose immediately or I will be forced to fire on your vessel.”

There was silence over the connection as the shuttle slowed to a stop in front of the ship. Sulu opened his mouth the demand a response but then an achingly familiar voice came across the air.

“Captain Sulu? This is Tiam-Na shuttle Fyodor-Sho requesting assistance.” The voice was tired and clouded as though the speaker was struggling to speak. And in fact, she was.

Sulu stepped down from the Captain’s chair level to be closer to the screen. “Hail on screen.” he commanded softly.

A battered, bloody, and miserable looking Jen Kirk appeared on screen and the bridge erupted in exclamations. The general air was of excitement, but a significant amount was of shock. She looked like absolute hell, but none of the crew had been happier to see her ever before.

“Permission to come aboard?” she croaked, tears pooling in her eyes and a very weak smile gracing her lips.

“Permission granted! Of course, Captain! Dr. M –” Sulu turned to find that McCoy was already on his way off the bridge and down to the shuttle bay. “Cancel red alert.” Sulu turned back to look at Jen. “Come on into the shuttle bay, Captain. Park wherever. Len will be there when you get in and you’re not to leave Medical until he tells you it’s okay for you to get up. Is that understood?”

Jen shrugged. “If it’ll make you happy.” They both smirked at each other and then the screen went dark as Jen guided her little ship into the bay.

She parked it in the last available dock closest to the center of the ship. After she set it down, she ran her hands along the panel. “Thank you, baby. You did good by me.” She rose slowly from the pilot chair and limped slowly to the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted with the inside of her ship; none of the medical staff had reached the bay yet. She sank to her knees and stroked the ground. She was finally home. The tears began to flow freely and she sobbed in her relief.

When the medical staff arrived, they found her huddled on the floor and crying. There was a small puddle of blood forming on the floor from her agitated knife wound.

“Jen?” Nurse Chapel’s voice was soft and imploring. Jen looked up to see her kind face hovering close by. She was smiling. “Wanna come with me?” Jen nodded and tried to get up and faltered. Christine hustled to her side and helped her stand. She was mindful of the blade still poking out of Jen’s body.

The frail captain looked over at Christine and whispered pathetically, “Where’s Bones?” Her lower lip trembled and a fresh flood of tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

“I’m right here, Darlin’.” Bones stepped into her vision. Jen sobbed out laughter and he reached for her. He drew her into a hug and tried to hide how devastatingly pleased he was to see her. He kissed her forehead, not caring who saw or what kind of grime he got on him. The crew helped her lay down on the stretcher and they carted her to Sickbay. The entire journey there, Bones gripped Jen’s hand like a lifeline for both of them.


	13. "Loving" Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones takes care of Jen in true surly-country-doctor fashion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta read as usual. I would have posted this yesterday, but it was my birthday and I was drunk XD Hope you enjoy!

“Before you sedate me, I want pictures taken. The surviving terrorists will be tried as war criminals by the Tiam-Na as well as the Federation and there will need to be photographic evidence.” Bones knit his eyebrows together, but nodded. They reached Sickbay and Jen shakily got off the stretcher with his help. Christine insisted on being the one to take the photos since they would require Jen to be in nothing but her underwear. Bones would no doubt look at the pictures, being her attending physician, but there was no need for the whole room to see her shame and pain.

In a small consultation room, Jen carefully stripped off her pants. She asked for scissors to cut her shirt so as not to disturb the blade; she didn’t want to do damage by having it removed by anyone other than a medical professional. She stood with her arms out so that all the wounds could be seen. Christine took a lot of photos and remained silent.

“How is everyone? Did anyone get hurt in the attack?” Jen whispered, uncomfortable with the amount of silence in the room.

“Just minimal stuff. Everyone’s already healed. We’re all doing a little better now that we know you’re safe, though, I’ll be honest with you.” Christine’s eyes were kind and she smiled softly as she circled around Jen, continuing to take pictures. She squeezed Jen’s hand affectionately as finished and gave Jen a hospital gown to wear. Christine helped her out to an examination table and had her sit on the edge, minding the blade still in her side. Bones had readied a tray of supplies to treat her immediate wounds.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked gruffly. He had entered Doctor Mode.

“The morning we left the ship.” she replied mechanically. Christine fixed her with a shocked gaze.

“Water?”

“I think about four days ago.”

“Malnourished.” he muttered. He said something to Christine that Jen didn’t catch. She was beginning to zone out. She even missed when Bones addressed her again. “Captain?”

“Yeah?” She lifted her head, which she hadn’t realized was hanging down heavily.

“I’m going to try and remove the knife from your side. I need you to lean back.”

Jen nodded and leaned back on an elbow, lifting the hem of the gown. Bones started to say that she didn’t have to expose her body with a room full of nurses, but she waved him off. “I don’t care, Bones, just get it out of me.” He moved to get the appropriate tools. “By the way, there’s alien blood on that, so there’s probably alien blood in me.”

A sudden, pressing silence fell on the room as everyone stared at her. She sounded so flip when she said that and the medical staff was shocked.

“Dammit, Jen, how in the hell did you get alien blood in you?” Bones was scolding her now. She sighed.

“I fatally wounded him with it and then, I dunno, in a last act of defiance, he took it from his own body and stabbed _me_ with it.”

Suddenly, the room was full of urgency and Bones was giving orders left and right. Jen was gently laid down on her side and the gown was tucked up under her armpits. A hypo spray was forcefully injected into her neck and Jen could vaguely hear Bones calling her a “fucking moron” as darkness creeped into her vision. She felt a slight pang of hurt, but knew Bones was genuinely concerned for her well-being. As her world faded, she felt a few traitorous tears slide from her eyes.

*********

Sulu had just finished doing a supplemental to his Captain’s Log when the chime to the Ready Room sounded. It was McCoy.

“Come in, Len. Drink?”

“Does the Pope wear a funny hat?”

Sulu quirked an eyebrow. “Does Earth even _have_ a Pope anymore?”

Len managed a small smirk. “I dunno. We’ve been in space a long time.” They both settled into chairs and Sulu poured drinks for them both.

“So, how is she?”

McCoy sighed. “She’s not good.” Sulu froze. “I mean, she’ll live, but she took quite a beating. They flogged her hard for four days…” His eyes grew hazy and he envisioned it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he continued. “She lost a fingernail at some point, her gunshot from the first day managed to not get infected. She has a stab wound that wasn’t so lucky, though. She has broken bones, lacerations I’ve stopped counting, infected blood, malnutrition, dehydration, possible alien infection or disease... I’d probably be better off telling you what’s _not_ wrong with her.”

Sulu snorted. “So what’s not wrong with her?”

“She’s asleep. I’m thankful for that.”

“We got her back, Len. And she’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed heavily and took a long swig of the booze, enjoying the way it burned.

*********

Jen woke with a start and immediately sat up. For a moment, she’d forgotten she made it back to her ship at all and she was scared that she had just been moved to a different room with Peesh. After her initial panic ebbed away, a wave of nausea crashed over her and she had to grab a nearby bedpan to vomit into. She didn’t remember eating anything, but there was nothing solid so she assumed it must have been a liquid solution prepared by the staff. She set the pan back down on the table. Her muscles, and seemingly her very bones, screamed at her to lay back down and sleep again. The next thing she knew, her actual Bones was screaming at her.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doin’? Lay back down right now.” He bustled around her, checking machines and scanning her. His frown was deep and angry.

“I’m sorry.” she said sheepishly. “I forgot where I was for a moment and got scared.” She hoped she would see Bones’ expression soften, but it was hard as ever as he continued scanning her.

“Couldn’t look around and figure it out before sitting up and doing yourself more damage?” He prepared a hypo spray and jabbed her in the neck with it. She winced and groaned slightly, but kept looking at her CMO. The scans continued and he read off of machines and entered information in a PADD. “You can quit gapin’ at me and lay back down now.”

Jen nodded sullenly and eased herself back down. She didn’t know what to expect next from the man. What he did was gently lift the back of her gown so he could look at the wound in her side. His fingers were gentle yet still precise and exploratory. She exhaled sharply as she felt another hypo spray injected to the area.

“Were there any negative side-effects from the –”

“From the alien blood you were stupid enough to get inside you?”

She paused and gathered her resolve before speaking again. “That’s the stuff…” she finally muttered.

“Not yet. You’ve been really lucky so far. I got information from Lowk to help make a serum to eliminate the Tiam-Na blood from your system, but only time will tell how bad you really screwed yourself. You have a human blood infection, though, because you didn’t care for the open wounds on your back.”

Jen was tired of being scolded. “Well, excuse me for being more concerned about bleeding out from the cuts on my arms than cleaning my back with water I didn’t have!” she snapped at him. This time, his expression did soften. He felt bad, but she didn’t care anymore. Luckily for both of them, Christine entered the room. She stopped short because of the apparent tension in the room. Jen fixed her with a pleading look and she smiled warmly as she came towards the table.

“How are you feeling, Captain?” she asked, pulling a stool over to sit in front of Jen at eye level.

Jen glanced briefly at Bones over her should who was still analyzing PADDs. “I’m fine. The wonders of modern –” she grunted as Bones jabbed her once more with a hypo spray. This time her vision began to blur and fade. “Modern space medicine…” She waved her hand back at him in a very feeble attempt at hitting him. “I was talking here!” she slurred.

“Well, now you’re sleeping.” He again busied himself with machines and information.

Jen cursed him out as her consciousness faded.

“You’re acting really childish, Len.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t.” Christine shook her head at the doctor and patted Jen’s hair before moving around behind her to help the good doctor examine their captain.


	14. Guilt and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen gets cabin fever and storms out of Medical. She's much happier being in her own quarters where she can get a much needed, surprise call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter a lot. I don't even really know why. But I do. It's un-beta read, as per usual. Hope y'all enjoy! :3

Jen was beginning to get stir crazy. She’d been cooped up in Sickbay for the entire three days she’d been back and had seen nothing but Bones’ surly face and occasionally Christine. Currently, Bones was “taking care of her” by poking and prodding her. He took a blood sample and only spoke to her when he was asking her to move this way or that. Jen was still wearing the gown and had really had enough of it.

“Hey Bones?” she tried when Bones was wrapping up an oral report. He paused, and turned to her looking slightly exasperated at being interrupted. “Could I maybe have my uniform back? I’m starting to feel –”

Bones groaned, cutting her off. “Dammit, Jen, I’m a doctor, not a Laundromat! I’m here to take care of you, not –”

This time, Jen did the interrupting. “Well, no one’s asking you to be here!” She leapt off of the table and stormed to the staff area, ripping open a locker. She found a pair of too-big medical uniform pants and put them on. She balled up the excess in her hands and began to leave the room. Bones stepped in front of her.

“Where are you going?” His voice was softer now, as though he realized he’d been too gruff.

“To my quarters. There must be other people you can bully into getting healthy and I figure I’m just takin’ up space for you anyway.” Bones frowned and opened his mouth to speak again, but Jen didn’t give him the chance. “You can send Nurse Chapel to tend to me in my quarters.” Jen moved to leave again but Bones stepped between her and the door.

“Jen, I –”

“Doctor McCoy, please step out of the way or I will have you relieved from duty.” It was a hollow threat and they both knew it, but Bones stepped aside anyway. Jen left Sickbay and walked, barefoot, to her quarters.

*********

A sudden sound woke Jen from a deep slumber. She scrambled to get to her feet on her bed, disentangling herself quickly from the blankets. Her arms were raised in a fighting stance as she searched for the source of the noise. Bones stood at her table; he had placed a metal tray of medical supplies down.

Jen let out a huff of air and collapsed to her knees on the mattress. Her pulse raced and her stomach roiled. She scrubbed her hand across her face and tried to keep her head from spinning.

“Are you alright, Jen?” came Bones’ soft voice from across the room. She wasn’t terribly surprised that he hadn’t stepped closer to her. He regarded her warily, but still showed a good amount of concern for her.

She ruffled her hair to attempt to soothe herself before sighing and saying, “Yes, Doctor, I’m fine.” She got up from the bed to wrap a sweater around her bare shoulders. “What can I do for you?”

Bones shuffled uncomfortably. “I was just bringing things here for Nurse Chapel. She’ll be in to see you shortly and I just wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.”

Jen nodded and Bones continued to stand there. She raised an eyebrow. “Was there something else, Doctor McCoy?”

Minute facial movements betrayed him. Jen had known him long enough to read them when others couldn’t. He felt awful about the way he’d treated her but he wasn’t quite sure how to apologize. His uncertainty confused Jen a little, but she appreciated that he was suffering.

“No, sir. Sorry, sir. I’ll send in Nurse Chapel.” Bones turned on his heel and left. As her door slid shut, she balled up her fists and yelled in anger. The exertion tired her and made her dizzy. She sat down heavily on her bed.

The door chime sounded and she uttered an exhausted, “Come!” Christine entered, all warmth and friendliness. Her smile faded quickly as she saw Jen on the bed.

“Captain, are you alright?” she said as she knelt down on front of Jen. She shined a light in her eyes and watched her responses.

“Yeah, I’m alright. Just still a little weak.” Christine nodded and grabbed a PADD off the table. She entered some information and kept a close eye on the Captain. “Bones was just here.”

“Oh? How did that go?” She sounded a little sad.

“About as well as you might expect with how things have been.” The nurse sat down on the bed with her and stroked her arm. “He scared the shit out of me. He put the tray down on the table and startled me. I’m still a little dizzy.”

“I can probably help with that.” Christine got up and readied a hypo spray. She gently injected it into Jen’s arm. “Mind if I ask you to take off your shirt so I can look at your back?”

Jen nodded and stood. She removed her sweater and then her shirt. Wearing a bra had become unnecessary since she wasn’t going to be on duty or even in public. Christine’s fingers were gentle, but exploratory on her skin. There was only a little pain anymore because the infections had died down. Impressive scabs still covered her body. The cuts on her arms had healed very nicely as well.

“How are you feeling? Spare no gory details.”

“My muscles are still pretty sore; arms and thighs in particular. My side aches all the time, but that may just be because there was a knife in it. Maybe my insides miss the company.” Christine laughed through her nose. Jen smiled. “My thigh is better. The hypo that Bones had given me that day forestalled the worst of the side effects for the gunshot wound. I’ll have to thank him when he stops hating me…”

Christine had begun putting a healing salve on Jen’s back, but stopped momentarily. “He’ll kill me for telling you this, so you’d better keep it between us;” Jen turned to look at the nurse and nodded for her to continue. “He was really scared. He won’t admit it to you easy, but I’ve known Len long enough to be able to see that he was scared to death. The only other person who'd know that is you. He thought he might lose you.”

“He has a funny way of showing that he’s glad I’m safe and sound.”

“I think it’s also that he was really mad that he couldn’t protect you. We were all scared, yeah, but he was angry that they took you away from him. He would have gone down to the planet all by himself if he thought he could have brought you back.”

Jen sighed. “He’s… He’s a good man.”

Christine gave her a secret smile. She turned Jen so she could rub the last of the salve onto her back. When she finished, Jen laid down on her stomach in bed. Christine sat with her for about an hour and they just talked; not about the mission or about Bones. She left so Jen could get some rest and on her way out the door said, “He’ll come around. You just have to be patient with him.”

They shared a meaningful glance before Christine disappeared behind the closing door. Jen grabbed a book from her nightstand and read until she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. Sleep took her and she dreamt of a smiling Bones.

She was woken only two hours later by a hail coming directly to her quarters. She rose stiffly and wrapped her sweater around her naked torso again. She plopped down groggily in the chair at her desk and said, “Computer, answer hail.”

Christopher Pike’s face appeared on the screen and she smiled uncontrollably. A wide and relieved grin spread out over his face as well. “Hey, kid!” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady.”

“Sorry, sir.” The scolding was only half-hearted and very short lived. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Chris?”

“That’s a real question? I heard you had a hell of a time executing Federation diplomacy and got your ass handed to you.”

“In my defense; these guys are huge!”

Pike laughed lightly but fixed her with a worried face. “Honestly, though, kid. I wanted to check up on you. I heard about the ordeal, went through your Captain’s logs from after you got back on board, and then Len asked me to call you.”

Jen blinked in surprise. “Bones asked you to call me? Why?”

“He’s worried about you, I expect.”

“He… Okay.” Jen tugged her sweater closer around herself. “Well, I’m doing a lot better than I was a couple days ago. Have you… seen the pictures?” He nodded, eyebrows knit together and a frown dominating his features. “Yeah, the worst is over. I mean, I still sorta feel like I was hit by a starship, but Christine says I’ll probably live.”

“That’s a shame. We could have set up a scholarship in your name.”

“I’d prefer to have a building at Starfleet named after me. Don’t you think that suits me better?”

His laugh was hearty this time. The levity helped him realize that she was definitely going to be alright. “It’s definitely your style.” They sat, smiling at each other but not saying anything for a moment before the man leaned forward. “I’m really glad you’re okay, kid. I’m not ashamed to admit I was more than a little scared. But you came through. You always do.”

“And I always will.”

“I’m proud of you for what you did. Maybe you did some ugly things on that planet, but you fought like hell to protect your crew and get out alive. Hell, you even saved people you didn’t know and took a beating for it! A lot of people wouldn’t have been able to do what you did.”

“ _You_ would have.”

“That’s not the point. Just take the compliment, you brat.” She smiled and raised her hands in surrender. “Leonard asked me to call because he’s worried. _We_ both know he’s got nothing to be worried _about_ , but you’d better talk to him.”

“Will do, sir.” They sat in comfortable silence again. “Thanks for calling Chris. I didn’t know I needed this. It’s great to see you.”

“My genuine pleasure, Jen. It’s really great seeing you, too.” He smiled like a father might upon finally getting news that his daughter was doing alright. Jen’s heart seized and her breath caught. They promised they would talk again soon and then the screen went dark. Jen was surprised to find tears suddenly spilling from her eyes. She wiped them away and crawled back into bed to sleep some more.


	15. Coming to Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen is recovering nicely and Bones is unable to conceal his feelings any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I'm horrible at updating ;_;
> 
> Hope y'all like this! This chapter stresses me out because of the reception from the audience. But I hope it doesn't disappoint! Thanks so much for reading it!

The Enterprise crew had mostly settled down after Jen’s return. Sulu was still acting as Captain because Jen had not been deemed ready to retake command of her ship yet. She didn’t exactly mind because she still didn’t feel up to it. Sulu came in every once in a while to let her know how things were going. He had just finished giving her a report when she asked if she could come back to the Bridge with him.

“I mean, if you’re feeling up to it, yeah. I’m sure everyone would love to see you.” Sulu smiled and extended his hand to help her to her feet.

Jen put on shoes but didn’t bother with a uniform. She wouldn’t be there in an official capacity, so there was no real need. The crew would have to deal with her loose jeans and her comfy sweater over her academy tee. Everything fit her a little looser these days because of the weight she’d lost during her ordeal, but she was slowly getting back to normal.

They walked slowly together, in no rush. Sulu talked about a recent fencing lesson that he gave to Lieutenant Ankara. The Lieutenant had been injured slightly in the initial attack on the surface, which seemed like ages ago, and was eager to learn a new way to defend himself.

“Not that I think we’ll have much chance for face-to-face combat with very many species. A lot of aliens have invented guns far more advanced than ours. But, hey, I figure if he wants to learn, I’ll teach him. He’s actually rather good.”

It was gratifying to hear the man be so passionate about it. Despite what they’d just been put through, he was still so pleased to be giving lessons. Jen wondered how he did it. The pair reached the Bridge and were announced by Chekov. It was the middle of the day so the area was alive with staff. Sulu stepped in first and then stepped aside for Jen to enter. As soon as she did, applause erupted in the air. Jen blushed immediately and tried to hide her face. Uhura walked over and turned her back around to face the crew. They were all standing and clapping for her. Uhura walked with her to be at the front of the Bridge. Jen put her hands out to indicate they should sit.

“Thank you all. I’m really happy to be back on this ship with all of you.” She shifted, uneasily as Bones entered the room. He stood by the Ready Room, tapping Sulu to show he wanted a word. He was told to wait a moment. Jen pressed on and Uhura surreptitiously queued up a ship-wide broadcast for Jen’s speech. “I don’t know how many of you heard any of what happened down on the surface. My Captain’s Logs are at your disposal, but I wanted you to hear something from me personally.

“The Tiam-Na who captured me were terrorists, as I’m sure you know. They tortured me and threatened to kill me. I’m sure their reasons seemed valid in their own eyes, but I saved one of them who disagreed. He only joined up with them to save his sister; a cause I’m certain we can all either relate to or at the very least appreciate. He turned out to be one of the bravest men I’ve ever met and he helped save my life just as much as I helped save his.

“When I escaped those monsters the first time, I killed the brother of their leader and he threatened to slaughter my crew. I knew then that I would kill him, too. Beyond the fact that he threatened the finest crew in the fleet, you all are my family. I couldn’t let anything happen to any of you. So I don’t want any of you to feel bad for me because of what I went through. I did it to keep you all safe and there is no greater gift to me in the universe than you all being okay. And I also wanted to thank you all for being so tremendous. I don’t know where I’d be without you.” She looked around at the faces of her family; every single one was smiling, some wiping at tears. It tugged at her heart and she had to take a steadying breath before continuing. “Uhm, I’m sure I had something else eloquent to say, but I can’t remember it anymore.” This drew laughter from all over the Bridge. She smiled and rubbed at her arms, suddenly self-conscious. “So, thank you all again. Just for being my crew. I’ll hopefully be able to join you on the Bridge again soon and we can be explorers again.”

The end of her speech was met with more applause. Bones walked into the Ready Room and waited for Sulu. The man in question had walked up to Jen again.

“Are you going to be alright getting back to your quarters?”

“I’ll walk with her, Sulu.” Uhura spoke up.

Many of the crew had approached Jen to shake her hand or to give her a hug. She shook hands with Sulu last and said that she would see him soon for another report. With that, Uhura and Jen left the Bridge and Sulu entered the Ready Room. As the door closed, he saw the Doctor sitting behind the desk; he was watching something on the screen. Alien voices, the sound of a whip, and a familiar murmuring came from the video and Sulu’s blood froze.

“Oh no…”

*********

Jen spent a good portion of the rest of the day asleep. When she wasn’t asleep, she was reading and being badgered into eating. Christine tried tempting her with a bacon cheeseburger and it worked. She sat in bed reading until she couldn’t hold her eyes open anymore. Taking off her sweater, she snuggled under her blankets and fell asleep once more.

A few hours later, she was gently woken by someone sitting on her bed with her. The room was dark still, but she knew who it was. His arms were propped on his knees and he was cradling his head in his hands.

Without moving, she spoke to him. “Bones? Are you okay?”

He turned to her, stricken. “Jen, I need to say somethin’ to you ‘n’ s’not easy for me.” He ran his hand through his hair and sighed heavily. His accent was thicker and she knew he was struggling to speak around his anxiety.

Jen sat up, moving the blankets off to the side. She reached out and gently ran her hand down his arm. When she reached his wrist, he twisted their hands and threaded his fingers in hers, clinging. She scooted closer behind him and said, “Hey, what is it? Bones…” She rubbed his back with the hand he wasn’t desperately clutching.

“Jen, I’m real sorry for the way I’ve been treatin’ you. My default process for dealin’ with grief or stress is anger. You know that.” She nodded and continued rubbing his back. “While you were on the surface, I was goin’ crazy here. No one knew where you were or how you were an’ it was killin’ me. I was scared out of my mind that you were dead an’ I –” He paused, seemed unable to say what was coming next.

“Bones, it’s okay. Please…”

He turned his head and rested his forehead against hers. She was startled by the sudden show of emotion; he was right about Jen knowing his gut reaction to things was to be angry. He was soft and vulnerable as he held her hand and was very nearly crying in her arms.

“I love you, Jen. I was so scared to lose you not as my Captain or my friend, but because I love you with everything that’s in me.” His voice was hushed and intense. Jen sucked in a shuddering breath and waited for him to continue. “Jen, I –” His voice broke and he stopped to collect himself. He brought his other hand up to her face, brushing his fingers across her skin reverently. When he spoke again, it was just barely above a whisper. “If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I can _not_ live without you. I’ve been awful to you for the last couple o’ days because I didn’t know how to say that I love you an’ I’m sorry for bein’ an asshole. I just –”

Jen cut him off by kissing him. He sobbed with relief and clung tighter to her. She’d never seen this side of Bones before and she doubted she would see it again anytime soon. But she was glad to have it now.

“Bones, I’m so sorry I did this to you.”

“I missed you so much, darlin’! I would never’a been able to forgive myself f’somethin’ happened to you.” He shifted back on the bed and she climbed into his lap, straddling his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. She hugged him tight to her and nuzzled his hair. Tears were falling from her eyes into his hair, but she couldn’t stop smiling. Bones’ touches were soft against her back as though he was afraid of aggravating her wounds, and he was shaking slightly.

He tipped his head back to look at her. His eyes were shining as he gazed at her. Jen stroked along his hairline and fondly ruffled his hair. Bones opened his mouth to say something and his voice caught. Jen kissed him again and whispered that it was okay.

“Darlin’, I saw the video…” he finally managed.

Jen drew her eyebrows together in temporary confusion. Then she remembered that Peesh had recorded one of the occasions on which he’d flogged her. Her face fell and she turned pale. Bones had already schooled his features. The hurt from the fact that she hadn’t said “I love you” back to him was briefly written there.

“Oh my god…” Jen searched his face for a flicker of anything other than stony indifference. He’d pulled farther away from her and she clung to his shoulders.

“You kept saying my name. Why?”

Jen’s heart throbbed and her throat refused to cooperate for a moment. She struggled to draw in a breath as the words failed her. The fact that he’d referred to her calling him “Bones” as calling him by name hit her like a freight train. She tangled her fingers in his hair in a final rally for courage and plunged into her confession.

“It was the only thing that kept me sane. I shut down and all I could think about was you.” The last word came out in a desperate whisper. “Bones, all I have in the world is you. All I _need_ in the world is you. The whole time on that planet, I just wanted to get back to my ship and be back with my Bones because all I _want_ is _you_.” Her lip quivered as she drove forward. Finally able to say what she should have said a long time ago.

“I love you so much, Bones! You might be the most aggravating person I’ve ever known, but dammit, man,” Bones uttered a surprised laugh as she used his own words against him. “I love you. I love you. I fucking love you.” He rushed forward and kissed her with as much passion as he could muster. Jen urged him onto his back and then rolled them both onto their sides so they could cuddle easier.

For a while, they just lay there and looked at each other, smiling. The silence was entirely comfortable for them. Jen stroked Bones’ side and back and he ran his fingers through her hair. Jen was moments away from falling asleep again, everything right with the world, when Bones shifted up onto his elbow to gaze down at her.

“I just have one question, though.” Jen removed his hand from her hair and kissed it to show she was listening. “You think _I’m_ aggravating?” Jen couldn’t help the riotous laugh that escaped her. They settled into each other’s embrace once more and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if Bones' accent is a little hard to read. I also apologize for the pure sugar dripping out of this chapter.
> 
> Wait, no I don't! It's entirely warranted and it was a joy to write. It might be a little OOC for Bones, but Jen does kind of mention that she's never seen it before and she's not likely to see it again, so that's kinda my loophole for that, haha!
> 
> Only one chapter left, y'all!!! Hopefully this is going as well as I pretend in my head XD Thanks for reading!!!


	16. Epilogue: A Happy Ending For Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen and the Enterprise crew make their promised return to the Tiam-Na to assess their progress. They get a pleasant surprise and they learn that not all hope is lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SERIOUSLY sorry about the delay in posting this. Our landlord broke his router and has been refusing to connect the new one because he's a raging cunt and his wife is the reason for the term "masshole." But that's beside the point! So, I've been WANTING to update this, but we've been without internet and I really just wanted to conclude this ;_;
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this finale! I enjoyed writing it because it's a little peace of mind for once. So often, things go wrong and I wanted a little happiness. There's, of course, a little angst, but mostly it's cool. I hope. Comments and kudos are always welcome! This has been a labor of love and I'm so pleased with the reception!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I love you all!

The next year, very nearly to the day, after Jen’s ordeal with the Tiam-Na terrorists, the Enterprise and her crew were back in the system. Even without apprehending the rest of the terrorists, the Enterprise crew was cleared to begin assistance. They had implemented a number of new policies and had delivered supplies that the Tiam-Na would need in order to literally rebuild their society. They promised they would be back in a year to survey and assess progress. Any further need for assistance would also be determined with the follow-up meeting.

Jen had gracefully taken back her post as Captain in that time. She remained in close conference with Sulu because he’d gotten quite attached to the post. The two talked quite a lot about Sulu pursuing his own Chair. Jen was all of the idea because she had great faith in his abilities. Sulu, on the other hand, was a little wary because he didn’t want to split up their family. This warmed Jen’s heart immeasurably. She told him that part of the function of families was to be supportive of their endeavors, though, and that if he really wanted to pursue his own Captain’s rank, she would support him the whole way. He thanked her and said he would keep her posted.

The night before they were scheduled to meet with Lowk again, Jen didn’t sleep well. She was anxious for the meeting; most of the crew were told that she was excited for their progress, but everyone really knew why she was restless. They were just decent enough not to confront her about it. Bones had decided to spend the night with her to try and help her stay calm. He’d brought a bottle of whiskey with him and they’d had a couple drinks. Bones tried to keep conversation light and succeeded in distracting Jen long enough to get her to settle down and cuddle with him. A couple hours later, though, she was up again and pacing her quarters.

She sat at her desk and tried going over some files and made sure all necessary documents were in order for their visit. After she’d gone over everything twice, she decided to try reading. She curled up in one of her big, comfy chairs with a book she’d started the week prior and began to read. She ended up reading the same paragraph over six times before sighing angrily.

From the bed, Bones stirred and raised his head to look at her. He was bleary-eyed and his hair was a mess. “Jen, come back to bed.” He beckoned to her and waited patiently. Smiling, Jen put her bookmark back between the pages and crawled onto the bed. Bones lifted the blankets and, as soon as Jen slid beneath them, drew her into a tight and warm embrace.

“Can’t sleep, Bones.” she said as she nuzzled his neck and tried to relax.

“I can fix that. If’n you want.” Jen loved how thick his accent became when he was drowsy. She smiled but shook her head.

“I don’t want a hypo. Can’t chance sleeping through the meeting.”

The doctor snuggled impossibly closer to her, putting his knee between hers, and slid his hand under her shirt. His warm and skilled hands caressed the flesh of her side and back. “S’not what I meant, darlin’.”

Jen shivered as Bones bent to kiss and nip at her neck. She hummed in appreciation and rolled him onto his back, swinging her leg over him. “What did you have in mind, Doctor?”

Bones smirked at her. “I was thinking a little…” He stroked up her thighs and teased her skin just under the edge of her shirt. “Physical activity might help clear your mind and help you sleep.”

She pretended to consider the option and then leaned down to kiss him hard. “Sounds like it might do the trick.”

The man beneath her furrowed his eyebrows. Jen was confused for a moment before he spoke again. “I won’t settle for ‘might do the trick,’ darlin’. We’re gonna have to do this until it works.” With that, he flipped their positions and Jen squealed with delight. “I’m a scientist, after all.”

“Well, then,” Jen sat up slightly to remove her shirt before stretching out and putting her arms above her head. “Proceed. For science.”

An hour or so later, they were both sound asleep. Bones slept solidly the rest of the night. Jen, however, only managed a couple hours of sound sleep before the nightmares started.

It had been at least five months since Jen had had nightmares about her experience. But with the impending meeting with the species, if not the specific people, who had tortured her, it could really not surprise many people. Bones lay next to her, unaware of the turmoil going on inside her brain. Fantastical events played out in her head about being a captive. The visions were so vivid and realistic that Jen truly began to believe that she had never made it back to her ship. There was only one aspect that tipped her unconscious mind that she was dreaming.

Peesh had referred to Leonard as “Bones.”

With a violent start and a loud scream, Jen sat bolt upright in bed. She was breathing heavy and flailing slightly in the bed clothes. Her surroundings were immediately alien to her but very soon she remembered where she was. It also helped that Bones had sat up when she did and was trying to comfort her. The blood surging through her veins had made him difficult to hear at first but his voice slowly filtered through her terrified haze.

“Jen! Darlin’, you gotta breathe slow! Calm down for me, baby, please! Jen, please, I’m begging you! It’s okay. Breathe slow for me. You can do this. Come on, darlin’.”

Against his better judgment, he crowded into her space and ran his hands all over her. Luckily, it had the desired effect of calming her. She sagged into his arms and turned her face to hide in his naked chest. Then the tears began. Sobs wracked her body and all Bones could do was hold her. He eventually tipped them back into the pillows and cradled her against his chest. After a little while, the sobbing stopped and Jen was left with tiny tremors from herself and whispered comforts from Bones. He wasn’t going to try and say anything else until Jen said something first. Bones placed careful kisses along her brow and into her hair. All that came from Jen for the time being was sniffling and nuzzling closer to the man.

“I’m sorry.” Jen whispered.

Bones leaned back from her a little to look into her eyes; they were wide, red-rimmed, and glistening in the low light as she looked up at him. “What for?”

“For waking you.”

Bones tried not to laugh because he knew it would be taken the wrong way. Instead, he moved in for a kiss. “Don’t be stupid.” She smiled against his lips, grateful for the endearment. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had nightmares.”

“Yeah… But I figure it’s just because we’re back here.” Bones nodded his agreement and kissed her again. “Thanks, Bones.”

“My pleasure, darlin’.” As she settled into his arms to try and sleep for another couple of hours, he whispered a heartfelt, “I love you.”

“I love you.” she whispered back.

The rest of the night passed without incident and Jen woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly well-rested. She assembled her landing party and they met at the shuttle to get dressed and go to the surface. Her hands shook as she guided the shuttle to the surface but no one was foolish enough to mention it. When they landed, everyone affixed their masks to their faces and waited for Jen to give the order. She jumped up and down, shaking out the last of her nerves. Spock was giving her a questioning eyebrow, but Bones stepped between the two and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, imploring, and he simply leaned his forehead down to rest it on hers. That was all it took for Jen to be ready to face her fears.

The party waiting to meet them included, first and foremost, Lowk. He stood there, tall and official looking as ever, smiling. Jen strode forward, mirroring his smile. They shook hands. Again, she looked the picture of control and the crew wondered how she did it. Bones knew she could wear her Captaincy like protective armor and she was entirely in her element.

“It’s very good to see you again, Captain. Especially after how our last meeting went. You look very well.”

“I feel very well, thank you. You look just as well. And I couldn’t help but notice that your city looks fantastic. Shall we discuss exactly what’s been going on this past year?”

“Of course. Come with me; we have space and refreshments prepared for our talk.” Lowk lead them to the embassy building and to rooms they had been in before. They chatted lightly about some minor advancements made within just the embassy because the heavier announcements would be saved for the presentation itself. Jen’s crew all sat together opposite Lowk’s people at a grand table.

“First and foremost, I want to let you know that we apprehended anyone who had any connection to the terrorist group that was behind the attack a year ago. They have all stood trial and we would gladly allow a Federation trial to occur, but all of them are sitting in our prison. They will never again see the light of day. And I wanted to tell you that myself.”

“Thank you, Lowk.” Her voice broke a little as she thanked him, heart swelling with gratitude.

Lowk smiled warmly and nodded before moving on. He laid out exactly what they had done with the Federation provided assistance; they’d been given a not-insignificant amount of money to work with in order to jump-start their economy and they had done wonders with it. Lowk also said they were in a position to start paying that money back to the Federation. They were presented with a slide show of before-and-after pictures of the best and worst parts of their nearby city as well as some quite a ways away. Everything looked so much better. Lowk was even able to report a massive jump in public well-being, quality of life, and economic status. The lives of the Tiam-Na had turned completely around and “could only get better from here.”

“I can safely say that I am very impressed, Lowk. What you’ve done here is truly remarkable and I could not be more proud of everything!”

“We couldn’t have done it without you and your Federation. I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us. We are immeasurably grateful and I…” he faltered and settled for fixing Jen and her crew with large, happy eyes. “Thank you. Thank you all. For everything.”

Jen stood and extended her hand. “It’s the least we could do for such a worthy cause, Lowk.”

For a moment, they simply basked in the success and gratitude of one another but then Lowk moved on with business. “I have files for you to send to your superiors to show our progress so that they know your efforts and their money were not wasted on us.” Jen laughed and thanked him. “We will also set in motion the option for an off-world trial, Now, I have one more thing to show you, Captain. Will you come with me?”

“Of course.”

They walked out of the room and Jen was overwhelmed by what she saw. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Kendok standing with his sister Drahlana and, the final captive she’d spent so much painful time with, Staffenek. They all smiled at her and Drahlana put her hand over her mouth to stifle an excited noise. A sharp, triumphant laugh left Jen's mouth before she could help herself and she strode forward. Kendok stooped to pick her up in a hug and she wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

“I’m so happy to see you!” she said into his shoulder. Happy tears slid from their eyes as he put her back on the floor. She wiped at them briefly before moving in to hug Drahlana. She also stooped down to hug Jen and they squealed their delight. Finally Staffenek hugged her tight, picking her up as well.

“It’s so good to see you, Jen!” he said as he put her down. “We were really worried about you, but when we got word that you had survived… I can’t tell you how happy we were.”

“You saved our lives, Jen. We can’t thank you enough for that.” Drahlana grabbed her hand and held it between her much larger ones. Jen looked between all of them, utterly pleased, and then she looked back at her crew; her family. She was very nearly perfectly happy in that moment. For once, everything had worked out and all the people that Jen cared about and befriended had made it out alive.

They promised that they would keep in touch with Jen and she promised the same. The data was sent to Starfleet and the Enterprise crew left the Tiam-Na, feeling a little better about life in general. That night, Jen slept very well beside Bones because she knew she had done something right. She had helped save lives and helped better a society. On very few occasions had Jen ever felt so worthwhile, but she knew now that she could truly do anything. Bones kissed her soundly, reminding her that he loved her and they slept, knowing that even if the next adventure brought violence and terror, they would survive.

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty! So, I'm going to focus on this story for the forseeable future instead of "I'm Not Afraid to Sleep Now". We just lost a family pet who'd been with us for 16 years and I'd prefer to not write a death fic about characters for whom I care deeply... I'll get back to that story soon enough, but I just can't right now... So this one is full of action to help distract from my problems.
> 
> Thanks for understanding and I hope y'all enjoy this one!


End file.
